State issues safety guidelines for religious services ahead of Easter and Passover

Drive-in services and Easter baskets are among the state’s new COVID-19 safety recommendations for religious services as Alaskans prepare for one of the year’s most significant weeks for people of the Christian and Jewish faiths.

Easter Sunday is this weekend. Passover begins Wednesday and ends April 16.

The recommendations allow places of worship to prepare for Easter and Passover services under the social distancing mandate issued in late March by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. The mandate prohibits public and private gatherings of non-household members regardless of how many people are involved -- including weddings, funerals, graduations and faith events.

State officials say the following practices will be allowed for places of worship, including churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and similar religious facilities of any faith. The recommendations do not constitute a mandate.

Livestreaming of religious services at their place of worship (absent the congregation) is allowed under the following conditions:

• Minimum number of necessary personnel to be used; no group larger than 10 is allowed.

• Social distancing of six feet or more to be used; if singing or projecting of voice, then minimum of 10 feet between each person.

• Nonspeaking, technical assistance personnel to wear cloth face coverings.

Drive-in religious services: Churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and other similar religious facilities of any faith may conduct “drive-in” services, where participants gather in their vehicles near the religious facility and participate in the service together by remote means, subject to the following requirements, which are intended to protect public health, safety and welfare:

• Participants may leave their homes to travel by vehicle to and from the religious facility, and must remain in their vehicle at all times.

• Only household members are allowed in each vehicle.

• Vehicles must be parked with six feet of separation between vehicles. This will be ensured by clearly marked parking stalls or directed by parking lot staff wearing reflective clothing and face coverings.

• Participants may not interact physically with clergy, staff or participants in other vehicles. This includes, but is not limited to, collecting donations by basket or plate.

• Social distancing of six feet or more to be used; if singing or projecting of voice, then a minimum of 10 feet between each person.

Easter basket assembly: Faith-based groups may assemble and distribute Easter baskets under the following conditions:

• Participants in assembly or distribution must be screened and not allowed to participate if they have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of respiratory infection; have a history of out-of-state travel within the past 14 days; or have a history of close contact to a person with COVID-19 or an undiagnosed respiratory infection in the past 14 days.

• Gatherings must be fewer than 10 people with at least six feet between everyone assembling and distributing baskets; wear cloth face masks around non-household members.

• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling baskets.

How the guidelines will affect plans varies at Anchorage churches and synagogues.

Anchorage Baptist Temple is planning to show two Easter services on a 26-foot screen in its East Anchorage parking lot, according to the church’s website.

“Dress in whatever makes you comfortable - pajamas or your Easter outfits,” the church advises. “You will not be getting out of your vehicle.”

Anchorage Baptist Temple is also planning four drive-in movie screenings from its parking lot starting April 9.

Rabbi Abram Goodstein of Congregation Beth Sholom in East Anchorage said he intends to continue streaming services from his home. On Thursday, that will include the Passover seder, a traditional feast which is normally one of Beth Sholom’s biggest gatherings of the year. He’s not sure he has the space or the tools to make a parking lot-based event work, he said.

“Our parking lot’s not conducive to any kind of prayer experience,” Goodstein said.

The Rev. Matt Schultz, pastor of Anchorage First Presbyterian Church said he appreciates the clarity that the guidelines provide, but for now he isn’t inclined to change his approach. He plans to continue to host services from his home rather than gather people to broadcast from the church.

“Personally, I would still encourage people not to do that. It’s very helpful to know what would be legally allowed, but why stop there,” Schultz said. “I think it might be wiser to have an extra measure of caution.”

Schultz said he’s intrigued by the idea of a drive-in service, and plans to read more about the risks.

Michael Warren, a pastor at ChangePoint Alaska, a 2,900-member non-denominational Christian church, said the church has been expanding and adapting its technology to reach people online. That will continue this week he said. No drive-in events are planned yet, he said.

“We’re open to any creative opportunities that we’re legally allowed to do,” Warren said. “You’re talking to a church that is absolutely abiding by everything that we’re being asked to do, but also begging God to fuel us with the creativity.”

Dunleavy on Tuesday also announced that Friday marks “Alaska’s Day of Prayer and Hope,” which the state described as “an interfaith day of prayer” and reflection amid the coronavirus pandemic. The governor will host a livestream event during which he will offer a personal prayer for Alaska, ask for a moment of silence, and will be joined remotely by religious and community leaders across the state.