Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Governor Opens Churches

Governor Tate Reeves announced the opening of churches at his daily Covid-19 briefing.  The press conference is streamed below.




* Governor Reeves issued the following statement on churches.

Today, Governor Tate Reeves released social distancing and sanitation guidelines for in-person worship services to safely resume across Mississippi.

Consulting with Dr. Thomas Dobbs and our state health officials, Governor Reeves developed guidelines for worship leaders and their congregations to join together to practice their faiths while continuing to help protect public health and flatten the curve.

"I’ll just say this as a personal point. My family is likely going to continue worshiping from home for a while. The church is not a building. We can honor our Lord and keep our neighbors safe. You don’t need to rush back. We do want to provide a playbook for how to do it safely, when pastors determine the time is right," said Governor Tate Reeves.

The guidelines include steps to prepare houses of worship, plan for logistics and worship programming, and direct staff and worship leadership on social distancing protocols. You can view the full guidelines for in-person worship services here.

Governor Reeves made the announcement at today's press briefing, which you can view on our Facebook page here.

Churches and places of worship were deemed an essential business or operation and were never instructed to close, though they were encouraged to offer services online and remotely to help slow the spread of COVID-19. 


 




26 comments:

Anonymous said...

No thanks Harry!

Anonymous said...

He dodged the question, but I wouldn’t be expecting sports in the fall with fans in attendance. There is no way to set the stands up to ensure adequate distancing and thousands of screaming people is a recipe for a super-spreading event.

Anonymous said...

Our congregation continued to meet secretly as persecuted Christians have done for two millennia.

Anonymous said...

as he said...he’s not going back for a while...

Anonymous said...

This is such partisan bulls!t. Popeyes is WAWWWAAAAYYYY better and everyone knows it.

Anonymous said...

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!

Anonymous said...

2000 idiots coughing on each other at Wal Mart, but a small Church congregation can't meet to worship while following "guidelines" ?



Anonymous said...

What guidelines that the governor has proposed would stop a small church congregation from meeting? The only thing I see is following the 6-foot distance between families if the small church is packed with congregants.

Of course there are some optional things that are being recommended against like having a choir, sharing a cup during communion, don't pass an offering plate, etc., none of which would prevent you from worshiping whatever deity you choose.

Anonymous said...

Regardless of one's view of church, this should make you queasy. Governors opening/closing churches, and restricting assemblies of people in groups. Mayors who regulate legal gun usage. Social media deleting posts/videos against their preferred norms.

The US Constitution is being shredded.

Anonymous said...

955 - either you have not kept up with facts, or you just like to stir up s×*t that doesn't exist.

Reeves has said from Day 1 that he wasn't closing churches, that he didn't have the legal constitutional authority to close churches; but that he strongly recommended to the leaders of churches throughout the state to consider modifying their services in a manner consistent with guidelines for other gatherings.

He left the decision up to the individual churches because in his opinion the government can't regulate the practice of religion.

Now your issue with the possession of a firearm and the Mayor of the City of Jackson is another story altogether - he either truly doesn't understand his lack of authority to try to restrict such an action, or doesn't care. Or more probable - Both.

Anonymous said...

@ 8:22
Again, it's simple... if your not comfortable with it stay at home. The states that are opened are experiencing major drop in COVID cases and are doing much better than experts anticipated. Just stay home if your worried. I've never seen a group of people want to oppress others bc they aren't comfortable with it. Unreal.

Anonymous said...

Churches are one of the best ways to spread the virus and have fatalities:

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6920e2.htm?s_cid=mm6920e2_w

Pray people don't go.

Anonymous said...

I would have put this guideline on page 1, not buried down in page 4, along with the restriction to 50% access:
"MITIGATE EXPOSURE BY IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES –
STAY AT LEAST 6 FEET FROM PEOPLE NOT IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD, DO NOT
HUG OR SHAKE HANDS, AND FOLLOW OTHER CDC GUIDELINES FOR SOCIAL
DISTANCING".

Anonymous said...

9:55pm Best post ever.

Liquor stores are essential? Churches not? Unbelievable that U.S. citizens just rolled over and did what the totalitarians told them to. Hopefully they won't march en masse right into gas chambers if directed to do so.

Cynical Sam said...

The governor didn't open churchs; our Constitution did that. Tater Tot doesn't want to do anything contrary to what Trump suggests so as not to lose his support in the future.

Anonymous said...

Tate had a degree from Millsaps, its easy street from here on out.

Anonymous said...

all joking aside- when you gather please do not sing as a congregation or have a choir. it’s been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that if someone is positive (and not know it) and they sing, the virus is contained in droplets that can spray out 12 ft from their mouth and linger in the air for two hours. singing is done with more “force” and unless you have an N95 mask on while singing, the droplets propel...

Anonymous said...

@8:39 You can't use facts when dealing with religion. A lot of these people believe God is going to protect them from the virus so it is their duty to continue as if nothing has changed. And no, I'm not being snarky. The church my wife attends has a music minister who is convinced that vigorous singing is a requirement to show their devotion and to cut it back shows doubt that God is looking out for them. You can't get through to people like that no matter how many facts you show them.

Anonymous said...

@8:39am Please stop promoting fear....and start promoting freedom as the Constitution dictates.

cholly said...

3:04 reading is fundamental. 9:55 never mentioned Tater, he said governors. You better believe we have some governors in the US that have closed churches and other freedoms of assembly in this post-constitutional world.

As 3:04 agreed, Lumumba styled nuts are issuing edits on legal gun use. The social media assault on free speech is chilling.

Anonymous said...

If churches were never closed, why are these guidelines being issued NOW. And why do the guidelines refer to "resuming" in-person worship and beginning with a "phased approach". It's just political BS to say churches were not closed. I know of no minister who believed they were free to hold worship services, and if Tate is just trying to say "It wasn't me," then shame on him. Furthermore, even if you believe that any of these "guidelines" are beneficial--I don't, other than that vulnerable persons should not attend--imposing or attempting to impose this type of regulation on churches IS an effort to limit and regulate religious freedom. But hey, never let a crisis go to waste, right Tate.

Anonymous said...

It is of great concern to me that our Governor doesn't feel that he and his family need to attend church. There is a HUGE difference in having church at home and having church AT CHURCH. no one should ever be allowed to dictate when I can go to my chosen house of worship or not - neither should someone who claims to be a Christian, discourage others from attending church services. If Governor Reeves doesn't put God a the top, our State is in serious trouble.

And I am not "holier than thou" or whatever. But most government officials who claim to be Christian OR are Christian attend church with their families. So don't go to Walmart, or Whole Foods or ANYWHERE if you cannot attend church. That is my thoughts and my opinion - but we all know what they say about that.

Let the negative replies to my comment begin. I don't care.

oh and btw - i voted for Tate...even knowing what I know. So don't start with that junk.

Thanks,
A concerned Citizen

Anonymous said...

10:46. ever watch tates church broadcast? they focus on him when he's there..which isnt much..

Anonymous said...

I am a Christian and I don't attend church.

If you are "judging" just how Christian a person is by their church attendance, I think you need to reconsider your own relationship with God.

The building is not the church and the church isn't Christianity.

God is not going to protect you from the spread of the virus just because you walked into a building.

Anonymous said...

If your preacher or priest or pastor doesn't care enough for his " flock" to arrange to preach outdoors or by video. You might be following a charlatan.

Jesus didn't have a building. He also said Peter would be " the rock", not go find rocks to build temples to Him. Wouldn't it be awful if Jesus meant to rely on good shepherds of his flock instead of more temples?

And, if you can't find ways to worship and be inspired without a choir to entertain you or passing the plate especially in this beautiful spring we're having, you might not be much of a believer.

Anonymous said...

I watch the Galloway Church broadcast just to see if Tate is there.

I saw him one time.

He did say he wasn't going back.



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