Two area pastors announce plans for Sunday service

Pastor Christopher Mayes and Pastor Keith Cochran talk about what plans they have for Sunday service now that Governor Reeves has announced new guidelines for churches to safely reopen.

Governor reeves released new guidelines for churches to safely open.

That includes social distancing guidelines and cleaning recommendations.

But who will be holding sunday service this sunday?

W-t-v-a's kayla thompson is live in tupelo after speaking with two area pastors about their plans moving forward.

This sign at the west jackson baptist church is here to let people know they will be holding in person service this sunday... but others are not.

You.... ((nats gospel singing)) a joyful noise hasn't filled the sanctuary at pleasant plain missionary baptist church for months... pastor christopher mayes said he didn't expect march 22nd to be the last time he held service in the sanctuary... "i didn't expect it to go like this.

I could tell that people were already uptight, our crowd wasn't the same and probably a little less than half that we see on sunday."

Now that governor reeves released sanitation and social distancing guidelines for churches to safely open across mississippi...pasto r mayes said he won't be having service in the sanctuary this sunday... "we've been doing the "park and praise", if they wanted to get out of their car, they can do that.

We're going to do that 2 more sundays and then for two months we're going to do church at almost half capacity.

We've already fixed our sanctuary for social distancing."

Pastor mayes plans for things to reopen normally in august... but in tupelo pastor keith cochran is preparing for in-sanctuary service this sunday... "as a church we operate under what jesus called the great commandment love your god with all you heart, mind and strength and the best way we feel like we can do that is together as the body of christ."

Staff at the west jackson street baptist church have already come up with new sanitation practices...like not passing collection plates, doors will stay open...and even changes to how you sit in the pew... "we'll take these ropes and flip them really easily so that now if you come to the second service that nobody sat on and we'll have about 30 minutes between services."

In between services staff will clean the entire building... pastor cochran said he recognizes some people may be weary about coming to church this sunday... "if you're concerned or if you fall into those categories, whether it's age or especially health issues, please don't come.

We want everyone together but we don't want them to come at the expense of health."

For pastor mayes...when the doors open again...he's hopeful things will be better... "that we can see a closer togetherness, more loving...and more love being spread and we're hoping for good things to come out of this bad situation."

((nats singing out)) to find out more information about these churches and the governor's recommendation s, you can visit our website...wtva dot com.

Live in tupelo, kt wtva 9 news... .

And as places continue to reopen, the number of cases and as places continue to and as places continue to reopen, the number of cases continue to rise.

Nearly three hundred new cases today, with nearly 30 and as places continue to reopen, the number of cases continue to rise.

Nearly three hundred new cases today, with nearly 30 and as places continue to reopen, the