Churches have been significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Because of the quarantine and social distancing guidelines in many U.S. states, people are not allowed to congregate in close proximity with one another. Since churches require people to sit close together, parishioners have been restricted in many states which have stay-at-home orders and social distancing enforcement.

Northern Churches

Many of the northern state governments have either prohibited church gatherings altogether or they have been limited them to 10 people or fewer. The states where church gatherings are prohibited include New York, Illinois, Minnesota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and New Jersey. The states where church gatherings are limited to 10 people or less include Maine, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Southern Churches

Approximately 15 states continue to allow church gatherings with no restriction on the number of people who can attend. Many of these states are southern states, such as Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, West Virginia, and Texas.

While there are numerous local excpetions, f or the most part, southern churches have fewer restrictions on gatherings than northern churches. The main reason for this has to do with the political parties leading these states and the cities within them. Southern states and cities are predominately run by Republicans, while northern states and cities are mostly run by Democrats. It is clear that politics plays a major role in how churches are required to respond to the pandemic.

The Debate Over Masks in Churches

Churches with capacity restrictions seem to be cooperating with social distancing guidelines, However, there is a big debate between churches and their government leaders about whether masks should be worn in churches.

In the beginning, several pastors from throughout the country spoke out publicly against wearing masks. But as the COVID-19 infection rates rose, many of these pastors have now reconsidered their positions on wearing masks.

Ohio is one of the few states that has required religious worshippers to wear masks inside of a church. For churches in other states, it is up to the leaders of the churches whether they want to enforce mask wearing or not.

One pastor made a point that Jesus Christ would have worn a mask.