“Resuming in-person worship services has not been reverting to worship as usual,” [LifeWay executive director Scott] McConnell said. “Churches are making efforts to make the environment safe, but these efforts are often second-guessed by those who either want more precautions or less restrictions.”
Thirty-five percent required parishioners to wear masks, according to the survey; precautions and requirements differ from congregation to congregation, as summarized in Christianity Today:
More than 3 in 4 pastors say they provided hand sanitizer, masks or gloves to those needing it (94%), conducted additional cleaning of surfaces (86%), or closed seats to increase distance between people (76%).
Most have recommended masks (59%), but only around a third (35%) have required attendees to wear them.
Around 1 in 5 have added services (21%) or additional viewing rooms (18%) to allow people to spread out more.
Others have conducted temperature checks of staff and volunteers (21%). Some have also checked temperatures of all attendees (14%).
The entire study can be read here.