By DAVID WILLIAMS
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
One of Indiana’s largest churches is pausing its return to the pews for services.
Northview Church was scheduled to welcome people back into the church, with social distancing, the first weekend of August. But COVID-19 changed those plans.
In total, Northview Church has about 12,000 members spread across 13 locations. Senior Pastor Steve Poe says church leaders had worked with several local churches to plan an early August return to in-person services.
“We’d made all of our plans and preparations for that. But, of course there’s been a spike in COVID-19, so it caused us to hit pause and rethink it,” said Poe.
The Carmel campus alone has about 5,500 members.
Before this week, the return plans included social distancing, closing off every other row in the sanctuary and asking families to sit together but leave two seats between them.
“We were asking people to wear the mask at least through the worship and as they entered or left the building,” Poe said. “Then we were asking them to register to let us know they were coming so we could fit everybody in the auditorium. That was going to be true at all of our campuses.”
But after surveying the staff and congregation, talking to health care workers and joining in prayer, Poe decided in-person worship shouldn’t resume for now.
“I think it’s important that we be concerned about each other. I just don’t want to put our people at risk. I don’t want to put anyone at risk,” Poe said. “We’ve never really stopped church. We just took it online. The attendance has been incredible and the response to our people has been incredible.”
The Carmel church serves as a COVID-19 test site. Anyone who enters the church building must get their temperature checked. Masks are required and provided. There are social distancing guidelines and hand sanitizer.
“Just to protect one another,” Poe said.
Poe says church leaders are going to evaluate whether or not to have in-person service in September.
For additional updates from the church, click here.