CHENEY – St. Paul’s Episcopal Church has announced that it is resuming in-person services this Sunday, June 18, for the first time since closures and social distancing measures were enacted in late March to combat the spread of COVID-19. It is the first church in Cheney to resume some sort of regular service.
According to information provided by church secretary Susan Durrie, the church has instituted measures following state guidelines for resuming services, along with other steps.
St. Paul’s is requiring the use of masks and social distancing practices while also sanitizing pews, doorknobs and rest rooms following each service. The front door will remain open during the service for air circulation.
In announcing guidelines for religious and faith-based organizations to resume services under Phase 2 — which Spokane County entered at the end of May — the state referred to the risk of spiritual gatherings becoming COVID-19 “superspreader” events due to practices such as singing and up-close personal contact. Several gatherings around the country have been associated with coronavirus spread, including one at a choir practice in a Mount Vernon, Wash. church on March 10 that resulted in 52 confirmed cases and two deaths.
That event took place before the state’s stay-at-home measures and other shutdown procedures were instituted on March 26.
In following state guidelines, St. Paul’s will not be holding choral or congregational singing and no coffee hour. Congregants may use their own prayer books or may take one from the church’s sanitized collection and keep it for the duration of the pandemic.
The parish hall is closed except for the use of the restrooms. Hand sanitizers and masks are available in the narthex before entering the sanctuary.
“The service offered is morning prayer with no Eucharist at the present time,” Durrie said, adding the church will provide updates as things change.
Additional state requirements limit indoor services to 25 percent of capacity or 50 individuals, whichever is less along with requirements for screening employees for coronavirus and instruction on best safety practices.
Other Cheney churches are also making reopening plans. Cheney Congregational Church correspondent Jenine Miller said they have sent out a questionnaire to gain feedback from congregants, but had not received all of the surveys yet.
Emmanuel Lutheran church secretary Melinda Reid said the church council elected to reopen in-person services two weeks after Spokane County has gone into Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan. United Methodist correspondent Carol Kriegh said the church follows the guidance of a district superintendent for Eastern Washington and North Idaho along with bishop who presides over Washington, Oregon, North Idaho and Alaska, and is working on approval of a reopening plan through this route.
“All of that to say we are in the process of submitting our reentry plan but probably won’t be in the building until at least August at this point,” she added.
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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