Area churches react to loosening of restrictions on in-person services

Under the Gov. Steve Bullock’s plan to reopen the state, churches began meeting again beginning Sunday, April 26 and many Upper Blackfoot Valley churches took the opportunity to return to in-person services.

The Blackfoot Valley Bible Church held services Sunday. Pastor Art McCafferty said he called congregation members to let them know about required social distancing measures and to let them know that “there would be no greeting, no hand-shaking.” He added that members were instructed to sit only with their immediate families and to stay at least six feet from others.

Bill Cyr performed the services on Sunday and plans to perform services next week as well.

McCafferty and his wife Connie had been out of state the previous week for her mother’s funeral services and were absent due to the governor’s directive to self-isolate for two weeks after returning.

“We felt that it was wise to follow the guidelines, and not only wise, but it’s the rules,” he said.

There were about eight attendees at the service, Cyr said. “I think we all had a good time being there. We were happy and thankful we got to be there. We tried to observe the social distancing and a couple people had masks on.”

“We just think the churches should set an example of caring for your neighbor, like it says in the Bible,” McCafferty said. “We just wanted to set the example for everybody to show that we’re all in this together, we’re all pulling for people in our town not to become ill.”

The Community Bible Church of Lincoln usually meets at the Lincoln Library. Because the library has not reopened, the Church held outdoor services for the second week in a row, in what Pastor Dave Carroll called “drive-in church.” Carroll broadcasts the sermon over FM and has a sound system, allowing members to listen either from their cars or at home, if they are in range of the transmitter.

“The people have loved getting together in the parking lot,” Carroll said. “Some people are still pretty fearful and stay in their cars, but people get out and greet each other. People have been really excited to get together, even with the limitations.”

The Helmville Community Fellowship held their regular services this week, as they have throughout April. Pastor Don Niemeir said that the church closed for the first week of the stay at home orders voluntarily, but then decided to hold services. “I didn’t feel like I needed permission to have church. I have a command, so we were there. The scriptures say not to forsake the assembly of yourselves gathering together.”

Niemeir added, “We just have a small country church, but for our people, we’re a real isolated population to start with. We practiced social distancing while having our services, and I don’t think it was anymore reckless or dangerous than going to the grocery store or the gas station.”

During the stay at home directive, some of the churches streamed their services over Facebook Live. Both McCafferty and Carroll said they saw a good response to these services, often attracting viewers from out of state, and even Canada.

“The really unintended consequences of that are that we had almost 100 people watching,” Connie McCafferty said. She added that many of these viewers sent offerings. “We were receiving literally hundreds of dollars from Washington and Ohio and Tennessee and that has helped us financially to help with paying the bills while we wait for the quarantine to be lifted.”