The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG—Pastor Stan Hughes of Waitsburg’s Presbyterian Church announced that the church will welcome congregants back for worship in their sanctuary on Sunday, June 28 at 10 a.m.

Pastor Hughes met with the Session of Elders last week where the decision was made to begin meeting again in person.

“We will be ready to greet you in a safe and sanitary church building, with plenty of hand sanitizer, and the explicit reminder to maintain safe social distancing,” said Pastor Hughes.

“Some of you may still be cautious about church gatherings. We understand that—and will fully respect the choices you make,” he continued. Hughes cautioned any member of a high-risk group to weigh carefully their decision to attend, and encouraged anyone showing signs of any illness, or any person displaying a temperature of over 100.4 degrees to “please honor your fellow church members by staying home.”

Other precautions and guidelines in place include providing facial coverings to be worn by all in attendance, encouraging those attending to wash their hands prior to leaving home and upon entry, and providing hand sanitizer at the entrance.

Additionally, Hughes notes that:

• The upper-level handicapped access ramp facing Main Street will be the point entry for all attending. The “front door” of the facility faces 4th Street in Waitsburg. This will NOT be used as an entrance.

• Greeters will be outdoors at the entrance before and during meeting times. They will ensure physical distancing during arrival and entering the sanctuary. The seating areas will be marked for appropriate social distancing. During services, you will be asked to remain seated unless you need to use handwashing stations or restroom.

• Leaving the service will be managed by persons designated to regulate flow and maintain proper separation while on church property.

• In addition to the two restrooms, there is a handwashing sink in the sanctuary, all of which have an adequate supply of materials for hand washing upon arrival, or during the service.

• Weekly cleaning will include vacuuming of the carpets, and wiping with disinfectant the wood surfaces of the pews. Hand washing areas and restrooms have always and will continue to be, cleaned in a manner to control disease transmission, including wiping all contact areas with disinfectant.

The Waitsburg Presbyterian Church is located at 504 Main Street.