[FoxNews] One of the nation's largest churches located in Georgia announced it will not resume in-person services through the remainder of the year after a surge in coronavirus cases.Senior Pastor Andy Stanley of the multi-site North Point Community Church in Atlanta, which has a weekly attendance of 30,000-plus, made the announcement Tuesday in a Facebook video message.
"Now as you would imagine, that was not a casual decision," Stanley said. "In fact, back in May when we announced a possible Aug. 9 reopening, the COVID numbers were actually moving in the right direction. That has changed. Consequently, we cannot guarantee your safety, and that is a big part of this decision."
Stanley says the "contact tracing" would be "next to impossible" given the seven locations and how the church operates, and he explained they are looking at what other congregations of similar size are doing.
North Point plans to update its online experience and create a strategy for limited physical gatherings, Patch.com reports.