Prioritizing health: Churches response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Churches serve as a source of connection and support for spiritual wellbeing. More recently, church communities recognize the importance of extending support beyond spirituality and taking a holistic approach that includes mental and physical health. How each church goes about providing support varies among denominations and the needs of their communities. This exploratory study examines how churches of various denominations in the Tri-City region (Pomona, La Verne, and Claremont) of Los Angeles County perceive the seriousness of COVID-19, their responses to the pandemic, and the potential impact on their congregations. Results indicated that the majority (84%) of spiritual community participants view COVID-19 as a threat to personal health, and are taking steps to minimize the threat to their congregations’ health and surrounding communities. Implications for church leadership to consider when planning continued operations and congregant support in response to COVID-19 are discussed.

Keywords:

• Church
• COVID-19
• religion
• risk perception

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Kanya Godde, Ph.D., for data collection, analysis, and interpretation, and Nestor Hernandez for data collection.