When church members start being fully vaccinated in large numbers, should the church offer them more opportunities than those who are not vaccinated?
Pew Boxes
When I first moved to Boston to attend seminary in 2003, a new friend and I walked the “Freedom Trail,” a marked path on the cobblestone and brick sidewalks that leads to dozens of historical buildings, monuments, cemeteries, and attractions.
One of those spots was Old North Church, a majestic colonial church building. Being from Oklahoma, the land of megachurch long pews or movable cushy chairs, I was immediately taken aback by the pew boxes that families would sit in. The floor level of the church was divided into a few dozen boxes big enough for a family or for a couple to sit in. They weren’t just dividers: they were closed off, with swinging doors that you latched behind you when you sat. Originally, these were the only places to sit in the church: the outer walls and the balcony were standing room only.
A visitor to Old North Church wrote about this phenomenon:
Box pews allowed allowed families to sit together in a regular spot and provided shelter from cold drafts. They were typically purchased or rented by families and the cost could be substantial—sort of like the private boxes that ring stadiums today. During the colonial period, some churches, like the Old North Church in Boston, were “closed” church, which meant if you didn’t own a box, you couldn’t attend—or, at least, you couldn’t sit down.
The church was a visible example of division of the church into the “haves” and the “have nots,” and I wonder if we are moving in that direction again today.
A “Green Badge” for vaccinated church members?
Churches that have been following public health guidelines and worshipping online for a year are now planning ahead for the decision point: how do they reopen for outdoor summer worship experiences, and how do they reopen when sufficient numbers of the congregation has been vaccinated?
As they plan, they might begin to wonder these critical questions:
- Do we offer different experiences for vaccinated members as opposed to unvaccinated members?
- Are there some church activities that vaccinated folks can do safely, and if so, can the church offer them only to that group?
- And even if we can…should we?
Regional civil governments have begun experimenting with such variety of access. The New York Times reports on “Green Badges” that Israel is practicing for some regions. Folks who have been vaccinated get green badges that prove their status, allowing them access to closed events or recreational spaces:
Israel is one of the first countries grappling in real time with a host of legal, moral and ethical questions as it tries to balance the steps toward resuming public life with sensitive issues such as public safety, discrimination, free choice and privacy.
“Getting vaccinated is a moral duty. It is part of our mutual responsibility,” said the health minister, Yuli Edelstein. He also has a new mantra: “Whoever does not get vaccinated will be left behind.”
The debate swirling within Israel is percolating across other parts of the world as well, with plans to reserve international travel for vaccinated “green passport” holders and warnings of growing disparities between more-vaccinated affluent countries and less-vaccinated poor ones.
Regional governments and businesses, depending on the national and local laws, can deny entry based on vaccination status, and that leads to some areas and locations becoming controlled access.
I wonder what will happen if the church becomes one of those areas.
Prohibiting entry, controlling access, denying grace
The COVID-19 pandemic has opened up ethical and moral questions along those lines: should our wide-open church doors become country clubs with controlled access for public worship and events only for those with “green badge” vaccinated status?
The congregational leadership at my local church wrestled with these questions when considering limited access for worship services, currently capped at 25% of capacity in Seattle, Washington. Besides the myriad issues about worship itself, we got stuck on the problem of prohibiting entry. We couldn’t bear the idea of turning people away once we reached that cap, neither the heartache of turning away 50-year members nor the potential conflict with visitors who didn’t know the protocol. We decided to not offer in-person worship at all, in part to avoid that sort of access problem.
I cannot imagine our greeters who open the church doors each Sunday searching for a “green badge” before opening the door. That flies in the face of both church hospitality and our United Methodist theology of prevenient grace that offers grace to each person before they’ve earned it.
But likewise, I know it’s only a few weeks until one of our small groups of seniors that are fully vaccinated will begin to ask to gather. What’s the problem when the statistical risk is significantly lowered?
Indeed, entire churches might have this dilemma soon. One church in my region finds 90% of its membership at an adjacent retirement and assisted living community, all of which will be vaccinated in the next month or so. Why wouldn’t they be able to gather if everyone in the room is vaccinated, knowing the “credentialing” is handled by the retirement community? But what would they do if someone new stopped by—deny them access? Divide the church into the vaccinated “us” and “them?”
The science of transmission of COVID-19 by vaccinated persons is still being studied (see this summary article of the issues here). These are questions for the summer and fall, not now, so I wouldn’t risk it until we know more. But even if the practice is science-approved, the plans of tiered access by vaccination status remain an ethical question.
The next right thing
For clarity, you should get the COVID-19 vaccine. When it is my turn, I plan to in the name of personal and public health. So while this article is not about whether or not to get the vaccine (you should), it is about what churches should do when their membership starts to be of two tiers (one vaccinated, one not yet).
As your church debates the summer or fall offerings, consider the following:
- Worship should be for everyone. Perhaps offer the same type of gathering but give different roles to those who are vaccinated: while they are better protected and can take more at-risk positions, a vaccine isn’t a guarantee.
- Small groups with set memberships might have more options because their membership is known and controlled. If a small group reaches 100% coverage, then they might have more options available to them (meet at church, etc). Groups should continue to follow public health guidance (social distancing, masks) until Dr. Fauci tells us otherwise.
One final note: Those who are vaccinated right now are likely also the ones most at risk, so it’s not good to increase their exposure regardless. Go slow, follow public health and denominational authorities, but be careful that you don’t become a “Green Badge” church that gives some people more privileges than others.
Thoughts?
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Another issue related to all of this is kids. Kids will be among the last vaccinated (because there is not one approved yet got those under 16). Will we tell our children they are not welcome? Or that they must wear masks when adults do not?
Heather, your question is answered by having a policy that if your church reopens, everyone — regardless of age or vaccine status — should wear a mask and social distance until the CDC gives the all clear. There are double variants here now and on the horizon that are more transmissable, that may defeat our present vaccines.
Church leadership should also consider having just instrumental music for worship as well. We can still be a welcoming community; however, as people of faith it is also our responsibility to protect each other during what may be for a long time to come. With Christ, all things are possible….
Why even discuss vaccinated vs non-vaccinated church members? This idea borders on an Orwellian society that we who live in the more civilized parts of this country cannot even imagine. What happened to a person’s right to health privacy in your part of the country? Thank goodness Texas, Florida and other states have shot down (pun intended) the idea of discriminating against those who have made the decision not to take the vaccine. It is not a “badge of honor” to be part of an experimental vaccine project, at least not in my church or my part of the country. Your remark that the ones who are vaccinated are the most likely to be the ones most at risk is confusing. Are you saying that the vaccines are non-effective? Det. 31:6 has been my go-to passage for the past year.
Have you ever heard of smallpox or typhoid? Perhaps research would be in order.
You must be a holier than thou member of the clergy. lol
Have you done your research on the corona virus vaccines?
“One final note: Those who are vaccinated right now are likely also the ones most at risk, so it’s not good to increase their exposure regardless.”
This is the part I think we are wrong about. These folks are most at risk only in part due to physical risk, but they are also the group that has been isolated the longest, many of their number never quite mastering the art of internet-assisted connectivity that others have been able to enjoy. Mental and spiritual risk is now outweighing the physical risk. We’ve squashed down that physical risk quite a bit, especially with our UMC churches at the top of the lists for choosing to get vaccinated.
Thank you, Jeremy! I have noticed in the past couple of weeks an increasing hierarchy of vaccinated / not vaccinated. As one of the have-nots (the scheduling is very poor public policy at work), I am noticing a subtle shrinking-back when vaccination status is discussed. Yet is it anyone’s need-to-know my vaccination status? Only a few — my primary physician, perhaps my medical ‘power of attorney’ people. Not only children (as mentioned in an earlier comment) but also those who cannot or will not receive a vaccine could be set on the other side of the tracks. Are we sliding toward treating them as ‘lepers’? Remember when people were afraid to touch those with AIDS? (COVID-19 is not AIDS; we can compare the research response, though.) Let’s rethink this haves / have-nots dichotomy before it becomes entrenched.
I am not vaccinated yet. I joined two Bible study groups meeting by zoom at two different UMC churches during the pandemic. These classes and the connections to some really wonderful people who seeking a deeper relationship with God have been essential to me during this time of isolation. Many of the class members are now vaccinated and talking about “going back” to meeting in person. I understand the desire, but I would miss them so much! Technology exists to do both virtual and in person experiences simultaneously: I really hope churches especially invest in the time and effort to make it possible for small groups and larger worship to include both those who gather in person and those who join in in a virtual distance-learning way. Don’t shut out your shut-ins!
Remember the old proverb: He who is convinced against his will remains of the same opinion still.
What a blessing to be back in our church! Our church has had restricted 2 in-person worship services every Sunday since March 14. Our last in-person “normal” worship in 2020 was 52 weeks before. We had virtual worship services during the shut-down. Thanks to the success of the vaccines and the recommended CDC measures in reducing active Covid-19 cases in our area, we were able to open our doors to three Easter services and a virtual service with over 500 views.
Things are not returned to normal but, there is hope for that to happen within the next few months, but only if our neighbors and friends participate sufficiently to gain herd immunity.
Most of us believe we are following Christian teaching by protecting our families and others by our vaccination.
Whether or not Methodists like the idea of a green card, we must remember our Methodist history of tickets to Love Feasts. Somehow, such gatherings seemed to help rather than hurt early Methodists.
As a physician, I am sure you protect your patients’ right to privacy. Also, not all people share your view on vaccination. I have friends with an autistic child who feel certain that childhood vaccinations caused their child’s autism. We should respect the rights of people who are leary of the proliferation of vaccination in this country. The corona virus vaccines are experimental. People have the right to reject vaccines like these without feeling that they are lepers as mentioned by another poster.
Many thanks to Brother Jeremy for stimulating this conversation about the rights of church members! Our responsibility of being followers of Jesus challenges us to help unify this nation, not divide it further.
When I think about this issue, I find a distinction between those that have been unable to receive the vaccination and those that CHOOSE not to be vaccinated. The Church has a role in helping us care for one another. We need to find ways to encourage vaccination without ostacizing the unvaccinated.
Jeremy, thanks for the thought behind the vaccination issue as we move out of quarantine. Good idea for initial outdoor fellowships where still-masked, vaccinated old-timers could get re-acquainted, meet new staff members and get a picture taken briefly with mask lowered for pictorial directories and bulletin boards and online databases. New members have no way to recognize fellow churchgoers without some extra efforts on their behalf! Young families waiting for shots might really appreciate inclusion until potlucks are possible!
What about those of us who got COVID 19 and survived? Nobody is talking about natural immunity. I did get an antibody test that came back positive, so I guess that is my “passport.” I will not be getting the experimental vaccine. God gave me an immune system that is working just fine.
I noted the comment above about the spiritual effects of isolation on so many seniors who, now vaccinated, want to return to in-person worship. Although no initiative of this sort is under consideration at my own church, I don’t think making a special accommodation for vaccinated seniors to return before others do is something most of the younger congregants would resent or see as special treatment. I think many would see it as a kindness. I am 70 and no technophobe, but the whole livestream thing has only heightened my sense of isolation. I feel very disconnected at this point and have begun attending another church which has put responsible safety measures in effect. Not sure what the future holds.