Churches weigh in on safety of drive-in services

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This article was published 29/11/2020 (1443 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The pastors of three of the largest evangelical churches in Winnipeg say they will continue to follow provincial COVID-19 pandemic guidelines and not play host to outdoor drive-in services.

Calvary Temple, Church of the Rock and Gateway Church representatives say they don’t intend to follow the example of Springs Church, which held such services, attended by hundreds of vehicles, in its parking lot last weekend.

“We have taken a response focused on safety,” Bruce Martin, pastor of Calvary Temple, said Monday.

“At this time, as a church family, we are getting together exclusively online as a matter of safety first, and secondly to promote community co-operation within our city and province,” he said. “We want to be a good example within and without our faith community.”

Mark Hughes, pastor of Church of the Rock, agrees. However, while his church intends to keep meeting online, he questioned the prohibition against in-vehicle gatherings.

Under code-red pandemic restrictions, Manitoba has ordered places of worship be closed to the public, including drive-up or drive-thru services, moving all religious gatherings online.

“Nobody is being put at risk,” Hughes said. “If they shut them down, then they had better shut down the parking lots at Walmart, Costco and Home Depot.”

“I think it’s another issue of COVID inconsistencies, contradictions and lack of common sense on behalf of the government,” said Ron MacLean, pastor of Gateway Church, adding his church also intends to follow all health guidelines.

While understanding the desire to gather, all three are sympathetic to government officials who are dealing with the pandemic.

“The government has a very tough job right now,” MacLean said. “Springs Church’s drive-in church is probably COVID-19 safe, but right now churches have been asked not to gather so the government has a problem either way. They can’t win.”

The best thing faith groups could do for government health officials, he added, is to “try and make their job easier rather than more difficult.”

Martin noted there are different approaches to handling COVID-19, but, “We happen to live in Manitoba. At Calvary Temple, we are praying for all those assigned to the task of navigating our way through this pandemic.”

He is unwilling to view the orders against gathering as targeting faith groups.

“We do not perceive the present restrictions for churches as religious persecution, because last I checked, the lights are largely out down the street for… the Winnipeg Jets,” he said.

Reflecting on the decision by Springs Church to hold the drive-in services, Martin said while he does “not know his (pastor Leon Fontaine’s) heart, I do not believe for a moment there is any malicious intent to put anyone at risk.”

“What we have here is an obvious difference of opinion with (chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent) Roussin and his team as to what safety looks like for Springs Church,” he said.

Martin hopes the “difference of opinion could be settled to the benefit of our entire community, including the parties involved.”

Fontaine did not respond Monday to a request for comment.

At his Monday news briefing, Roussin reiterated the public health order against places of worship holding large gatherings, including outdoor drive-in services, since it would not be possible to be certain everyone in one car was from one household and citing washroom use issues.

Drive-in services are “still considered large gatherings,” he said.

In the past, the province had provided exemptions for such services, but for “this short period of time,” all Manitobans should stay home, Roussin said.

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