Challenges ahead as places of worship set to reopen for private prayer

Faith leaders from across the Black Country and Staffordshire are making preparations to allow the return of private prayer.

Rev James Treasure, left, said the configuration of Top Church in Dudley would help keep people socially distanced

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced that places of worship can reopen for individual prayer from Monday.

Christian and Sikh leaders in the region have welcomed the announcement, but Muslim leaders say they are likely to remain closed until communal prayer is allowed.

Christian leaders have been speaking with cautious optimism about being able to welcome members of their congregations back to church after nearly three months away. However, they have also spoken about the challenges ahead to make sure the buildings are safe for people to enter in order to pray.

Rev Tim Eady said there was a lot of work to do to help make the church safe

Rev Tim Eady of St Joseph's in Wolverhampton said it would be a big undertaking to ensure the church was safe.

"It involves having to ensure that it is as safe as we can possibly make it, so we will have to have the disinfectant and the hand sanitiser available," he said.

Rev James Treasure of Top Church in Dudley said churches in the Diocese of Worcester, which the church is part of, had been provided with guidance notes to help with the reopening.

He also said the unique configuration of the church would help to make it a safe place for people to pray.

"It is a great blessing because we had already cut out the pews, so we can just fix it in a number of chairs and ensure that the chairs are two metres apart," he said.

Rev Richard Grigson welcomed the news of private prayer returning to churches

Rev Richard Grigson of the Collegiate Church of Saint Mary in Stafford said the church was ready to welcome people back in.

He said: "We welcome the news that churches can bear private prayer and we have a team of volunteers working very hard to ensure that the church can be open safely for prayer as soon as possible."

Within the Sikh faith, the feeling was one of relief that worshippers would be able to visit their Gurdwaras and reconnect with the community they have missed for three months.

Kuldeep Singh DEOL, far right, said all steps would be taken to keep worshippers safe

Kuldeep Singh DEOL, management trustee of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick, said while access would be restricted, it would be good for the congregation to come back to the Gurdwara.

He said: "To begin with, they'll just be able to come in, pay their respects and go, rather than spending hours in there, as part of a phase by phase approach."

Within Islam, however, the new ruling will see little change in terms of lockdown for the timebeing, owing to the communal nature of prayers, and mosques will not reopen just yet.

Mohammed Arif, centre, said the new ruling would not affect mosques, owing to the communal nature of Muslim prayers

Mohammed Arif, president-elect of the Union of Muslim Organisations, based in Walsall, said the mosques were preparing for an expected lifting of restrictions at the beginning of July.

He said: "We are preparing for socially-distanced prayers from July onwards, with the mosques looking at space and taking the necessary precautions, such as staggered times and reduced capacity."