OAKLAND — Bishop Bob Jackson of Acts Full Gospel Church is vowing to open his 4,000-seat sanctuary to worshipers on May 31, with or without the state government’s blessing.
Bishop Jackson and pastors from up and down California on Thursday questioned why religious gatherings were excluded from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s early plans to ease COVID-19 restrictions. Relaxing rules against large gatherings, such as church services, is not in the first two phases of reopening California.
Those pastors, some who oversee megachurches, said they will abide by all social distancing and infection control rules.
“We will do everything the restaurants and every other place is doing. I don’t see why we are being looked over and judged to be nonessential in a time like this. It’s foolish,” Bishop Jackson said outside his East Oakland church.
Churches and places of worship haven’t been able hold in-person services since coronavirus shelter-in-place orders were issued two months ago and may not be able to do so for weeks, without violating health ordinances.
Pastors representing Bay Area and Southern California churches came to Oakland on Thursday to apply pressure on the state to allow them to open their pews. Southern California-based attorney Robert H. Tyler said more than 1,000 pastors have signed a declaration to resume services on May 31.
May 31 is symbolic because it is a Christian holiday known as the Pentecost, marking 50 days after Easter Sunday and the Holy Spirit’s descent upon the Apostles. Tyler has sued the state in federal court on behalf of a congregation in Lodi. So far, however, any legal attempts brought against the state have been unsuccessful. A federal judge this month ruled the state had the authority to prohibit in-person services during a state of emergency and denied three Southern California churches a temporary restraining order against the state restrictions.
Tyler on Thursday said the courts and state government have not provided justification for how a large retail store or grocery store is less dangerous than a church service.
“It’s unlawful to treat religious organizations differently than how you would treat ‘essential business,’ ” Tyler said. “What we are going to see (on May 31) is an old-fashioned showdown.”
Jackson said he is prepared to provide masks, gloves and limit the number of worshipers who come into his East Oakland church, and that he would follow U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines in reopening his church to its congregation.
“The drug stores are open, the liquor stores are open,” the bishop said. “We can do the math and make sure we have social distancing. I don’t know why our governor doesn’t think we have the IQ to be able to do the same things, that we are not interested in the health of our people.”
Gov. Newsom on Monday brought most of California into the initial stages of Phase 2 of his reopening plan, allowing for nonessential business to reopen for operations such as curbside retail and has said that some places can move further, achieving certain state health department criteria. Business has swung open to include in-person shopping and dining in 18 counties in the state, all of them largely rural areas, where risk is considered low. San Benito County is the nearest county to the Bay Area. Four Bay Area counties — San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, and Contra Costa — which have been under stricter shelter-in-place orders than the rest of the state, have said that they will begin to move into Phase 2 beginning as soon as Monday.
In New Mexico, a county sheriff sidestepped Gov. Michelle Lujan earlier this month by deputizing about 20 church members at an in-person church service, according to news reports. Locally, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office cited a North Richmond pastor for holding a service on Easter Sunday.
Rev. Matt McDermott of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church in Palo Alto said his congregation will not be holding in-person services. The reverend said Episcopalian leaders will meet at a retreat this weekend and discuss a variety of safety topics.“It’s too soon to have a definitive timeline (on reopening),” McDermott said. They are discussing, “how do you have a safe environment, when are people ready and willing to show up? There will be a range of responses to that, based on their situation and comfort level.
“There’s not going to be this grand reopening,” he said. “I certainly empathize with the desire to gather again, we really miss it. We really miss the face to face.”
