Blog: Reopening Churches 101

As many people have questions, we thought it might be useful to take a closer look at the Regional Council motion that was passed on June 18th concerning re-opening.

The motion, drafted by P. Bisset and R. Sheffer, was sparked by the announcement by the Government of Quebec to authorize reopening of Places of Worship to a capacity of 50% of the building (up to a maximum of 50 people) starting June 22, 2020. *

As you know, our sanctuary’s capacity is about 120, and our attendance at Sunday worship is usually below 50 people. So no problem, right? Let’s go back to church!

Slow down, Sparky.

The motion goes on to say that,

based on our ongoing concern for spread of the COVID virus, we must provide a safe reopening of our church buildings so that the physical, psychological and spiritual health of all individuals, church members and those from our communities using our buildings, is sustained;

and that,

the Conseil régional Nakonha:ka Regional Council Executive recommends the following: a. Communities of Faith are expected to post and circulate the information and resources pertaining to safely reopening Communities of Faith during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and continue to provide information as developments require;

We are doing that with this Blog post and in other formats as well. Also,

b. [The Nakonha:ka Executive] Strongly recommend that Communities of Faith gradually reopen their buildings for Phase 1 activity for a period of time in order to familiarize the community with the processes of reopening prior to moving to Phase 2 and the reopening of the building for public worship no earlier than Labour Day Weekend.

For an explanation of the difference between Phase 1 and Phase 2, see the table below. We have been in the Pre-opening Phase and are just moving into Phase I, including the drafting of our Community of Faith (COF) Plan for Re-opening.

Though it may be disheartening to hear that we may not be back before September, do not think this means we will be sitting on our hands until then. The reason for the delay in opening is to make sure everything is done with the utmost care. The last thing we at SouthWest want is for an elderly member who has been self-isolating for months, to come back to church and catch the virus.

Here is the remainder of the motion:

c. [The Nakonha:ka Executive] expects that every Community of Faith prepare a Phase 1 plan for reopening their buildings and a Phase 2 plan for reopening their buildings for worship based on the document Conseil regional Nakonha:ka Regional Council- Reopening Protocols and Guidelines for Communities of Faith dated June 12, 2020 and submit their plan to the Task Group (bruse@united-church.ca) two weeks prior to their proposed opening date; d. Expects that every Community of Faith ensure that tenants have prepared an occupancy plan based on government guidelines specific to their sector of activity. If tenants use common space within the building they must follow the rules established by your Community of Faith. It is also expected that tenant agreements will be updated to reflect these changes. Other community groups using the facilities without rental agreements must be made familiar with your local rules; e. Expects that Communities of Faith who have already authorized daycares, essential services, food banks and summer camps to use space in the buildings, that they advise the Task Group and prepare and submit a Phase 1&2 plan as soon as possible; f. Requests that Communities of Faith provide a budget estimate for the additional monthly costs that will be incurred for protective equipment and cleaning services during this period.

*Sections in italics are direct quotes from the motion.

*Sections in italics are direct quotes from the motion.