One-third of pastors say they could hold services in May
Barna reports 37% of U.S. pastors feel they’d be able to host a church service in their usual building or location this month. A larger share—46%—are looking at June to return after several weeks of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And 16% say they may wait until July or August. When they do go back, 62% of pastors said they will do so with precautions in place to help stop the spread of the virus.
>Related: The Illinois Baptist poses 10 questions to consider before reopening
Churches weigh reopening amid continued restrictions
As some churchgoers begin to return to in-person meetings, the church they return to will likely look different than the one they left in mid-March. Pastors are weighing when and how to reopen, Religion News Service reports, and many are considering what it looks like to operate amid ongoing restrictions, like a Kansas City measure that requires churches to maintain records of all service attenders.
Illinois governor allows drive-in worship services
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s extended stay-at-home order, which went into effect May 1, includes guidance for churches not given in the original order. The list of essential activities now includes engaging in the free exercise of religion, provided people social distancing guidelines and wear face coverings. The order also encourages drive-in services, demonstrating a shift from earlier restrictions that resulted in some churches shutting down drive-in worship.
Majority of churches have not applied for federal aid
LifeWay Research reports 40% of Protestant pastors say their church has applied for government assistance through the CARES Act of the Small Business Administration, while 56% have not. Smaller churches were less likely to apply, LifeWay reported. Among the churches that did, 59% were approved for assistance.
Amid pandemic, LifeWay announces cuts to staff, programs
The Southern Baptist Convention’s publishing house will cut $25-$30 million of recurring expenses from its operating budget in response to the financial hit the organization is taking due to COVID-19. “LifeWay stands to lose tens of millions of dollars of revenue that the organization would normally generate over the summer months from camps, events, VBS, and ongoing curriculum sales,” said CEO Ben Mandrell. The organization will implement a series of budgetary freezes, cutbacks, and staff reductions, and also announced World Changers mission projects will be discontinued.
New Yorker supports Samaritan’s Purse hospital
Religion News Service profiles a New York family volunteering at the field hospital set up to help COVID-19 patients, despite how they disagree with the hospital’s founders. Whitney Tilson says his views on several issues are “polar opposite” that of Franklin Graham, who leads Samaritan’s Purse, but “I’m supporting a hospital that is saving people’s lives.”
Aurora’s ‘Cross Man’ dies after cancer battle
Through his Crosses for Losses ministry, Greg Zanis made more than 27,000 crosses to honor people who lost their lives to gun violence. Just days after hundreds of well-wishers drove by his Aurora home to show their support for the “Cross Man,” Zanis died after a battle with cancer. Over 20 years, Zanis delivered crosses to the sites of mass shootings across the country, including Columbine High School and Sandy Hook Elementary. He also memorialized five lives lost in a 2019 warehouse shooting in Aurora. “He was a man of action who simply wanted to honor the lives of others,” said Mayor Richard Irvin. “In return, his life was one of honor and one that was celebrated throughout our nation and world.”
Sources: Barna, Religion News Service, Illinois Baptist, LifeWay Research, Baptist Press, Chicago Tribune