"Finally Worship, How Are They Different from Shincheonji?" Neighborhood Churches Becoming Hotspots for COVID-19 Spread

Despite Requests to Refrain from Religious Gatherings...Why Can't Protestant Churches Suspend Worship?

①Individual Churches Decide on Worship Attendance, No Control System
②Churches Uphold Worship Principles...Online Worship Systems Also Inadequate
③Church Operations Depend on Congregation Offerings...Cannot Give Up Weekend Worship

Eunhyeui Gang Church.

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Gwan-ju and Lee Jeong-yoon] On the afternoon of the 16th, we visited Eunhyeui Gang Church in Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province. This church, occupying the 3rd and 4th floors of a four-story building next to the eight-lane Sanseong-daero, experienced a cluster infection of 47 people after the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) was reported on the 9th.

Many of the stores in the same building were closed. A cafe located on the 2nd floor posted a temporary closure notice, and the optical store on the 1st floor had its shutters firmly down despite it being a weekday. A small private academy on the same floor as the church switched all classes online from the beginning of this month, so no students were coming in and out.

The building has a structure where all store customers, except those on the 1st floor, use a single entrance. Only the cafe on the 2nd floor has a separate door leading outside. The church was closed from the 9th, and the last worship service took place on Sunday, when other stores were closed, minimizing contact within the building. However, the possibility of contact with confirmed cases before that cannot be ruled out. A nearby resident, Mr. Kim (52), said, "Before that, at least 20 people came and went even on weekdays," expressing concern that "some churchgoers were seen without masks."

Nearby residents were outraged by the cluster infection. Despite growing demands to refrain from religious gatherings to prevent infectious diseases, the church held worship services twice on the 1st and 8th of this month. One resident raised their voice, saying, "I don't see any difference between this and Shincheonji or other churches that were heavily criticized," adding, "They insisted on doing what they were told not to, and eventually caused this mess."

A scene of people attending the Eunhyeui Gang Church service having saltwater sprayed into their mouths with a spray bottle. / Provided by Gyeonggi Province

Criticism of the church intensified as news spread that a single spray bottle was used to spray 'saltwater' on all congregants' throats, exacerbating the infection. Pastor Kim Cheol-ung, who leads Eunhyeui Gang Church, is known within the denomination for 'laying on of hands prayer' that heals the sick. As a result, it is presumed that the congregants participated in the saltwater disinfection without much concern. Residents also agreed that "many worshippers with physical discomfort or disabilities visited the church."

This is not the first cluster infection at a church. Previously, 15 cases occurred at Saengmyeongsu Church in Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, and 10 cases at Saengmyeongsaeng Church in Suwon-si. This was due to some small and medium-sized churches continuing to hold worship services despite the spread of COVID-19. The reason Protestant churches became hotspots for COVID-19 fundamentally lies in their structural differences from other religions. The Catholic Church and Buddhism banned religious gatherings such as masses and ceremonies at all cathedrals and temples from the early stages of the outbreak. This was possible because the denominations could exert influence at the organizational level. However, Protestant churches each set their own operational methods individually. Since church operations rely on congregants' 'offerings,' small churches may face immediate financial difficulties if they give up weekend services.

Additionally, a narrow interpretation of the meaning of church also contributes to the insistence on holding weekend services. Professor Shin Sung-wook of Asia United Theological University’s Homiletics Department said, "Some churches insist on the principle that worship must be held inside the church building," adding, "Unlike large churches, small churches may lack the facilities for online worship, which likely influenced their decision."

Experts' concerns are growing amid consecutive reports of cluster infections in religious facilities. Professor Kim Woo-joo, an infectious disease specialist at Korea University Guro Hospital, pointed out, "Church worship involves praying or singing hymns in confined spaces, which facilitates droplet transmission," adding, "If there is even one infected person during church worship, cluster infections can occur." Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province issued administrative orders restricting 'dense gatherings' worship services at 137 churches that did not comply with infection prevention rules. According to Gyeonggi Province, as of the 15th, 2,635 out of 6,578 churches (40.0%) in the province proceeded with worship services despite the situation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.