Amid coronavirus scare, churches across NC cancel worship services for two weeks
The bishops of both N.C. conferences of the United Methodist Church and the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina have asked their churches to cancel worship services and other public gatherings for the next two weeks to help curb the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.
“I urge you to cease public worship and other gatherings in your church through the next two weeks in order to protect your church family and the community in which you live and serve.,” UMC Bishop Hope Ward said in a statement issued Thursday.
Bishop B Paul Leeland made the same request to the United Methodist churches in Western North Carolina.
The N.C. Conference, which covers the eastern half of North Carolina, claims 226,000 members in 789 churches. The western conference represents more than 1,000 churches with some 300,000 members.
The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina made the same request Thursday, citing exceptions for funerals and life-giving ministries such as food pantries and shelter.
“This is a pastoral moment unprecedented in our lifetime, and we are responding prayerfully, thoughtfully and with great grace for one another and the difficult decisions being made at a rapid rate,” the church said in a statement signed by Bishops Sam Rodman and Anne Hodges-Copple.
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Epidemiologists have said COVID-19 is most easily contracted by being within 6 feet of someone who is showing symptoms of illness for 10 minutes or more. Older people who have health issues such as heart or lung disease, diabetes or weakened immune systems are thought to be most at risk for developing severe cases of the illness.
Before the announcements Thursday, church members were being asked to follow precautions such as keeping a distance between themselves and others, washing their hands and using sanitizers frequently, and fist-bumping or touching elbows as a greeting instead of a hug or a handshake.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 4:03 PM with the headline "Amid coronavirus scare, churches across NC cancel worship services for two weeks."
