Protocols for when to close or not close due to a Covid-19 outbreak:
When a Covid Positive Person attends a church service or function and has “direct contact” with others, the church should consider closing for 14 days. Here are the Protocols for making the right decision.
- If your church has multiple cases of Covid-19 among those who attended a church service or function, you should immediately shut down church services and functions for 14 days.
- If someone who attended a church service or function tests positive for Covid-19 and had symptoms within 2 days of attending, those who had “direct contact” with that person should be informed to quarantine for 14 days and to get a Covid-19 test. Most people who attend a church service or function would only be in “direct contact” with those they sat with, so only those who sat with that person would need to quarantine. The church does not need to shut down.
- If a Covid Positive Person had “direct contact” with multiple people other than those they sat with, you should shut down church services and functions for 14 days – Unless you have multiple services. Then you only need to shut down the specific service or function that was attended by the Covid Positive Person – you do not need to shut down the other service(s) or functions.
- If a person tests positive for Covid-19 and is on the worship team or another ministry team of the church, the whole team should not return to church until they quarantine for 14 days. If they have had “direct contact” with others in the church, those contacts should also be instructed to not return to church until they quarantine for 14 days.
- If any of these situations happen or if in doubt, call Supt. Rabe to discuss your case!
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19.
Person-to-person spread
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person.
- Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
- Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.
- These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
- Some recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.
- Maintaining good social distance (about 6 feet) is very important in preventing the spread of COVID-19
Spread from contact with contaminated surfaces or objects
How easily a virus spreads from person-to-person can vary. Some viruses are highly contagious, like measles, while other viruses do not spread as easily. Another factor is whether the spread is sustained, which means it goes from person-to-person without stopping.
- The virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading very easily and sustainably between people.
- Information from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic suggest that this virus is spreading more efficiently than influenza, but not as efficiently as measles, which is highly contagious.

How to go live on Facebook
- Go to your Facebook News Feed and press the Live option (the camcorder icon)
- Write a video description.
- Select a privacy setting by tapping the ellipsis in the bottom right corner and opening up Audience Restrictions.
- Add a Facebook Live filter, lens, or doodle. (if you choose to.)
- Press the “Start Live Video” button.
How to go live on Facebook
- Go to your Facebook News Feed and press the Live option (the camcorder icon)
- Write a video description.
- Select a privacy setting by tapping the ellipsis in the bottom right corner and opening up Audience Restrictions.
- Add a Facebook Live filter, lens, or doodle. (if you choose to.)
- Press the “Start Live Video” button.
For more details and the most current information visit:
https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home
Pa
WV
For more details and the latest information on West Virginia’s response please visit:
As per our instructions from the Board of Bishops, we will follow the social distancing, sanitizing and masking recommendation of the state and CDC.
Religious entities and institutions should further consider implementing the following best practices:
- Adding additional service times to facilitate proper distancing.
- Ensuring all attendees sanitize their hands and put on a mask or face covering before entering the building.
- Equipping ushers and greeters with gloves and masks.
- Encouraging all attendees who are 65 and older to stay home and watch the services online or provide a “senior service” exclusively for attendees 65 and older to attend in person.
- Ask all attendees who have an underlying at-risk health condition to stay home and watch the services online.
- Restricting seating to every other pew.
- Ensuring attendees sit with their immediate family unit, use physical distancing between each unit.
- Clergy should dismiss attendees by family unit in order to maintain physical distancing.
- Staff should sanitize seats and frequently used surfaces between services. Consider keeping childcare closed, unless the place of worship can comply with CDC guidelines for childcare facilities.
- Consider refraining from passing collection plates and instead provide a central collection box or encourage online giving.
- Consider how the sacraments can be administered without attendees having to touch the same surfaces and objects.
These guidelines are recommendations to give religious entities and institutions the best tools available to keep clergy and their congregation.
Underlined portions of the guide are specific to the maximum size of group gatherings in the church building. A study of Catholic churches in Ohio shows that you reach capacity for social distancing at 47% or less of your sanctuary space. So, if you had one service that was at near capacity before the shutdown, you will need at least two services in the Green Phase in Pennsylvania (the same for Ohio and West Virginia who will move to this level on June 7).
The church entered the gathering shutdown in great unity and creativity, but the reopening is seeing some disunity and multiple opinions. Some say we are opening to soon, some say we are opening to slowly, some say we should ignore the State/CDC guidelines and fill the churches up and some say we should not open until there is a vaccine. There is no way to please all the opinions out there.
What should we do? Delegates will make a significant difference by supporting your local pastor! Your unity with your pastor will be an example to the whole congregation that we are in this together. Yes, we all have our opinions, but since it is impossible to follow multiple opinions, work to get on the same page with your pastor and just step out and believe God is stepping out with you. Pray, follow your plan and trust God to carry you through.
John 17
23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Here are three articles for your consideration:
https://slippedisc.com/2020/05/two-munich-scientists-pronounce-singing-to-be-covid-safe/
Supt. Doug’s thoughts on singing/worshiping in church during Corona-virus:
I lead singing for the 3rd Step Recovery Church and sometimes I sing at Monacrest FMC. The plan at Monacrest is to be distanced from others on the worship team by way more than 6 feet and at least 15 or more feet from the congregation. The congregation will be masked and socially distanced. Monacrest is limiting the number of songs and shortening the service to create less exposure and offering an outdoor service.
Whatever you do concerning singing in the church, look for ways to make things as safe as possible for your setting.