Hawke's Bay church leaders: 'We joined team of 5 million, now we're left out'

Pastor Cliff Cherry (front) and other Hawke's Bay church leaders are disappointed with the 10 person limit on religious services. Photo / Paul Taylor

This Sunday was supposed to be special.

Pastor Cliff Cherry had it marked in the calendar as the day he'd welcome worshippers back to Redemption Point Church.

But instead it looks set to pass with no church bells ringing around Hawke's Bay, and no one in the pews.

Government restrictions that only allow 10 in a church at one time have placed that on hold indefinitely, leaving them to once again take sermons online.

Cherry said, like many religious leaders, including Pastor Bruce Collingwood of Oasis Church, they had been broadcasting to their congregation via Zoom.

Others like Pastor David Connell of Ascend Global Church said their church work now consisted of daily Facebook interaction and services on YouTube.

From-the-ground solutions to the Government level 2 order are being hastily arranged.
Some churches plan to have smaller groups of 10 meet in homes to view services together.

And Hastings councillor Henare O'Keefe has floated the idea of a drive-in church service, which he hopes to organise as soon as possible.

"I just think that we are dealing with the economy and opening up local businesses, but we are overlooking the soft infrastructure, the spiritual side of humanity, which I think is an essential service in itself," O'Keefe said.

Church leaders around Hawke's Bay are asking the government to allow them to properly re-open.

Cherry said that he is delighted that the economy and businesses could re-open but the different regulations for churches are unfair, because churches could easily socially distance.

"I just find it absolutely bizarre that other industries where there is far more chance of social interaction happening have been allowed to do this, while churches haven't.

"How is the church, with all the right safety precautions in place, more prone to spreading a virus?"

He said the idea that level 2 had been rolled out fairly is "challenging to accept for churchgoers".

During the lockdown churches had been compliant.

"We joined the team of 5 million, now we are being left out," he said.

The role churches play in social and mental health has been "massively discounted" at a critical time, Cherry said.

Connell said the regulations showed a "complete disconnect" between churches and the Government's understanding what they do and their abilities.

Of the numerous church leaders spoken to by Hawke's Bay Today this week, all were confident that, had larger numbers been allowed they could have managed physical distancing and contact tracing as members are known and would have refrained from hugging and shaking hands if asked.

Cherry said they were not asking for special treatment but to be treated and trusted like everyone else.