NORFOLK, Va. — Governor Ralph Northam laid out Phase 1 of his three-phase plan to open up Virginia by Friday, May 15, 2020. The plan includes allowing people back in churches.
“Attendance of over 3,000 on a weekend. But they're split up between four campuses and 10 different services," said New Life Pastor Liam Coventry.
According to Governor Northman’s plan, it will allow churches to have 50 percent occupancy.
Coventry explained his church may not open if Phase 1 goes into effect next week.
“We want to steward our church both in a spiritual sense also in a practical sense,” said Coventry.
Coventry has his own three-phase plan for his congregation.
“The weekend of May 23rd and 24th, at that point we’re actually going to invite in all of our key volunteers and key leaders at our individual campuses and we'll have services in that context,” explained Coventry.
Coventry mentioned in the next weekend, he may open the church again. Coventry wants to make sure when people come back in they will feel safe and stay healthy.
“We’re talking about the specific size of a sanctuary or meeting space or is it a building at large. We have real questions about what does this mean for our children’s ministry,” said Coventry.
For now, online services will have to continue.