Prairie Mountain pastors unsure of church gathering restrictions

A Dauphin pastor says he and other pastors are uncertain what their Sunday services will look like this week.

On Monday, the Prairie Mountain region became Restricted as part of the Provincial Response Level. As part of this, gatherings have a maximum of 10 people, but pastors are unsure if this applies to them, as the Phase Four reopening plan states something different. 

"Cultural events such as pow wows and spiritual events expanded to 30 per cent of maximum capacity or 500 people, whichever is lower, with physical distancing," the Restoring Safe Services document says under Phase Four.

Pastor Scott Allan of Mountain View Christian Assembly says that he is uncertain of what the church is permitted to do in a way of gatherings.

"It says right from the website, the restrictions on group sizes will apply to events such as weddings and funerals, but not businesses or religious spaces... they are already covered under the province's reopening plans," the pastor says. "We are not sure is we are bound to the 10 or less, or the religious space allows us to go to the 30 per cent capacity.

Allan says that before the pandemic, his church saw around 170 people attend church, and says his own church's max capacity is 280 people. He says the church has been operating at an 80-person capacity to allow for spacing but does not know how many people they can hold in their church this Sunday.

"We have a couple of other pastors that are trying to get the information as well," he says. "One of them had called, and they are still deliberating on what to do."

Along with the unknown gathering restrictions, Allan says pastors are uncertain if worshipers need to wear masks.

"You now have funerals and weddings that need to wear a mask, so we are just not sure. We have to let our people know before the weekend."

Allan says that he hopes his questions are clarified soon.

"Our provincial government is doing the best they can to try to work through this pandemic. Our mandate is to pray for those in leadership."

Allan says that while he is uncertain what Sunday will bring, he has seen positives come from the pandemic in his church, adding that personal relationships are being built and younger members are helping on the technical side of services.

CHVN has reached out to the province for comment, who says these questions will be addressed at a one p.m. press conference on Monday with Dr. Brent Roussin.