The Rev. Bryan Hochhalter is careful about how he describes this Sunday’s service at Bismarck Baptist Church. He doesn’t want the precautions put in place to stem the spread of the coronavirus to outshine the real significance of the church’s first in-person service in two months.
“We are going to be together,” Hochhalter said.
Area churches -- many closed since state and national health officials recommended against gatherings of more than 10 people -- started reopening in early May. Catholic churches in the western part of the state held Mass on May 6, and others like Bismarck Baptist and McCabe United Methodist will follow in coming weeks after planning safety guidelines. Another local church will use its parking lot and sound system to hold outdoor services until the congregation can meet indoors.
Bismarck Baptist will leave open every other pew. The collection plate won’t pass from hand to hand and there won’t be snacks and coffee after the service. But the congregants will still see each other -- some of them likely choosing to wear masks -- and “there is something about face-to-face contact that’s beneficial,” Hochhalter said.
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“There are a number of people very interested in getting back together,” Hochhalter said, adding that others are cautious and prefer to attend online services, which will continue in addition to regular services.
The move to again gather for services wasn’t taken lightly, Hochhalter said. He and church officials have watched Gov. Doug Burgum’s news conferences “and want to be very respectful of the state health authorities and their recommendations,” the pastor said.
The church’s Sunday attendance usually hovers around 200, well under the 250-person cap state officials are recommending. Hand sanitizer will be available, and Hochhalter says he feels the church will be safer than some public places because they are better able to disinfect high-touch areas.
The reopening falls on Memorial Day weekend, when attendance is usually low because many people have travel plans. He’s unsure how many people might attend Sunday’s service.
“Other ministers have been surprised how low attendance was,” he said. “It’s impossible to predict.”
Trying to estimate attendance was less of an issue at Catholic churches in western North Dakota, which reopened May 6. Dispensation is still in place for those who don’t want to attend church.
“Contrary to what Catholics usually observe, Mass is optional now,” said Sonia Mullally, spokeswoman for the Diocese of Bismarck. “That’s allowed us to come back very slowly and helped it go more smoothly.”
Bishop David Kagan took into account state guidelines and issued an April 30 letter to parishes in the diocese, Mullally said. It was specific about several issues, including using every other pew, keeping families together, minimizing the number of people on the altar, and bypassing the sign of peace and offertory rituals. Some parishes used extra gathering places for more seating. Others put in place an additional Mass to give churchgoers another opportunity to attend. People “seem comfortable” with the changes, Mullally said.
“From what I’ve heard and read, there’s just a tremendous amount of joy to be back at Mass,” she said.
The planning process for reopening started three weeks ago and is still underway at McCabe United Methodist Church. The church is aiming for a June 6 reopening “with lots of precautions,” said the Rev. Jenny Hallenbeck Orr. A task force is putting a plan together and will present it to the church board for approval.
The early results of a survey sent to parishioners last week showed people are cautious “but many are still eager to come back when we reopen,” Hallenbeck Orr said.
“Given the circumstances and what we knew, we wanted to wait a little longer,” she said.
She and church leaders are tracking daily hospitalization numbers and other COVID-19 statistics, which Burgum relied upon when easing restrictions on gatherings. Bishop Bruce Ough of the Dakotas Minnesota Episcopal Area had recommended parishes not gather until after Mother’s Day, but she and church local officials decided to give the trend time to solidify before the church begins services, Hallenbeck Orr said.
“Part of the reason is that we wanted to wait and see what happened in May,” she said. “If it changes drastically, we still have the ability to wait.”
Funeral services that had been delayed are now being placed on the McCabe calendar. A wedding is scheduled for mid-July. All gatherings will be held to the same safety standards.
The church will utilize every third pew and forego hand shaking and passing the plate. Increased cleaning and sanitation practices will be in place.
A drive-in service will serve the congregation at New Life Church until a remodeling project at the Tacoma Avenue building is completed. Rather than try to meet amid the construction clutter, the Rev. Marc Eidahl said the parking lot seemed “a little less awkward.”
“And people are ready to be outside anyway,” he said.
Attendees can stay in their cars or use lawn chairs in an area that will be blocked off. A sound system will be set up to amplify the service. Services will be held this way until mid-June, when the remodeling project is slated for completion.
Some of the changes that have come about at Bismarck Baptist during the pandemic could become permanent, Hochhalter said. Online services were about to become a routine part of the church's services before large gatherings were halted. Now the church will be equipped to handle both online and in-person services every week. Such changes might support other trends in the ministry, Hochhalter said.
“We’re exploring other methods of serving our community and our church as opposed to seeing ourselves as a once-a-week public gathering,” he said.