Beginning today, churches in Minnesota will be allowed to once again gather for worship, according to a revised order from Governor Walz on Saturday and updated guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health.
On May 18, Governor Walz’s shelter in place order was replaced with the Stay Safe Minnesota order, which outlined the first phase of the gradual reopening of the state. To the disappointment of many people of faith, the new order left places of worship in limbo while allowing secular businesses to open up. Many churches had been preparing safe opening plans, only to be told that church services are “unpredictable” and therefore less safe than going shopping. As Minnesota Family Council’s Renee Carlson pointed out, “If any predictable ordered gathering exists it is worship services,” a fact that Walz has since acknowledged.
Both the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Minneapolis-St. Paul and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod sent letters to Governor Walz expressing their disappointment at his unwillingness to even offer churches a timeline for reopening after the churches had cooperated with closing orders in order to protect their congregations and had expressed an eagerness to work with him to safely reopen. The churches informed Walz that they would resume services on May 26th with limited capacity. Becket Law also sent a letter to Governor Walz on behalf of the churches calling on him to confirm by May 26th that churches can reopen.
Governor Walz listened to these churches and the people of Minnesota, walking back his refusal to allow churches to reopen and revising his original order. Becket Law commended this move saying,
Minnesota is setting an example by recognizing the importance of giving equal treatment to churches and other houses of worship, and that worship services can be conducted safely, cooperatively, and responsibly. Other closed-church states are on notice.
Under the new guidelines issued by the Minnesota Health Department, churches may resume indoor services on May 27th at 25% of the building’s Fire Code capacity or a maximum of 250 people, whichever is smaller, and a minimum of six feet of physical distance should be maintained between members of different households. Outdoor services are allowed up to 250 people. Churches should develop and implement a reopening plan in accordance with the state’s guidance. Staff and congregants who are sick should stay home, and people who are at-risk due to underlying conditions are strongly encouraged to continue to stay home under current guidelines.
We are grateful that Governor Walz is once again giving equal treatment to places of worship and allowing them to do the same thing that Minnesota’s largest candy store has been able to do since May 8—safely reopen.
Neither Christians nor the government should treat churches as nonessential. As Christians, we should be eager to see our churches safely reopen, and as we prepare to once again gather with fellow believers, we should go above and beyond in exercising caution and loving our neighbors by prioritizing their safety. We are called to live in such a way that people will know we are Christians by our love for one another (John 13:35) and to let our light shine before men in such a way that people will see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). In the midst of COVID-19, that means reopening in a way that honors the people around us and in our congregations by caring for their safety.
