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| Two screens set up on both sides of the cross at Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul on Sunday read online church services will be continued until Aug. 30. / Yonhap |
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Busan-based Protestant churches and the local government clashed Sunday as the former pushed for physical Sunday worship services, amid a heightened alert on the spread of COVID-19 following a new wave of infection clusters.
The city government warned of punitive measures to defiant churches that didn't follow guidelines for social distancing imposed Friday.
On Saturday, the Christian Council of Busan (BCC) sent letters to 1,800 Busan-based churches, encouraging them to go ahead with physical church services, as opposed to online streaming services, despite the public gathering ban.
BCC members met to discuss the city government's executive order, which told the local churches to move to online services and to cooperate with the local government to help cope with the spread of the coronavirus.
They agreed to push for the physical church services Sunday, claiming the local government's decision to ban them breaches their rights to religious freedom and freedom of association.
"When COVID-19 patients are found to have visited certain cafes or eateries, those cafes and restaurants are shut down temporarily but other cafes and restaurants are still open," Rev. Lim Young-mun, BCC president said.
He indicated that closing down all churches on Sunday just because some members of other churches were infected with COVID-19 was unfair.
Rev. Lim criticized the government, claiming that it was responsible for the surge of infections but was trying to deflect its responsibility by scapegoating churches and describing them as breeding grounds for the coronavirus.
"The surge of COVID-19 patients is the direct result of the government's ineffective counter-virus measures. But they attack churches because some church members tested positive for the virus and try to hold churches responsible for the spread. Thus, banning physical church services cannot be justified and it's not fair to churches."
The BCC said the Busan-based churches will hold physical Sunday worship services by strictly abiding by the health safety rules set out by the government. The rules include members attending services to wear a face mask, use hand sanitizer, sit one- or two-meter apart, not hold group meals and to keep records of all in attendance.
The Busan Metropolitan City Government urged the local churches to play by the rules, saying the gathering ban was a necessary measure to protect citizens from the health threat.
An unnamed Busan City official warned of severe measures saying if churches violate the ban on public gatherings, they would face the consequences.
The main opposition United Future Party (UFP) joined forces with the local administration to put pressure on the churches.
In a statement released Sunday, the UFP Busan main branch urged the churches to fully cooperate with the government's social distancing rules. "The situation is grave. The daily infection numbers go over 300 and infections are reported in all cities and provinces without exception," it said in the statement.
Internet public opinion toward the defiant churches has gone from bad to worse. One wrote "The churches must be insane." Another wrote "Churches are becoming the public enemy."
Earlier, the health ministry raised the health safety measures level and required churches in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province to conduct online church services from Sunday until Sept. 1.
During online church services, 20 or less people are allowed to be in the church building during the sermon. The 20 people include a pastor delivering the sermon, a moderator and staff responsible for operating streaming services.
Mayors of other regions have been asked to use their discretion on church services. Busan and Gwangju cities banned physical church services, while some other cities and provinces recommended local churches stream their services online.
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