Almost 300 evangelical church leaders in the Australian state of Victoria have signed an open letter urging the state’s Premier, Daniel Andrews, to allow churches to open for indoor worship services.
Indoor church services are not permitted in Victoria, currently at the tail end of a second wave of coronavirus cases which has seen the highest numbers of cases and deaths of any outbreak in Australia, under current COVID-19 related restrictions. Victoria reported 11 new cases on Friday.
The letter, which is dated 8th October, says the leaders, who represent various denominations, are “grateful for the efforts and commitment of the government to contain the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak” but goes on to say they have “deep concerns” about the impact the “prolonged closure of churches” has had on their congregations and communities.
In particular, they mention elderly “struggling with technology and unable to join live-stream services” as well as a “sharp rise in mental health problems among young children and teenagers”, some of whom they say are suicidal or intending to self harm.
The letter also says the leaders are hearing stories of “parents concerned about their finances and career futures while coping with their children’s remote learning under high stress levels and without support” and have observed an “increase in frustration, confusion and disappointment” among themselves “as we are not able to help those in need due to COVID-19 restrictions”.
The letter calls on the State Government to list church services as an “essential service”, to allow churches to open for indoor worship in compliance with a COVIDSafe Plan and social distancing guidelines, and to rectify a “disparity” between the numbers allowed outdoor dining facilities and the lesser numbers allowed at outdoor religious gatherings in regional areas.
The Australian Christian Lobby has congratulated those behind the letter who come from a range of denominations and locations across the state capital of Melbourne and regional areas.
“The daily new COVID-19 cases in Victoria are at the lowest in months,” said spokesperson Jasmine Yuen in a statement. “The Andrews government cannot justify continuing a draconian lockdown that hurts the economy, livelihoods and the health and mental wellbeing of the community.”
The letter follows one sent to the Premier by the state’s Catholic bishops in late September in which they asked him to explain why different rules applied to churches compared to pubs, clubs and restaurants.
Comment has been sought from the Victorian Government.
