CONTACT TRACING FOR CHURCHES
SHOULD CHURCHES ENGAGE IN CORONAVIRUS CONTACT TRACING?
Key Facts
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), contact tracing is a process that involves “working with a patient (symptomatic and asymptomatic) who has been diagnosed with an infectious disease to identify and provide support to people (contacts) who may have been infected through exposure to the patient.” [1] By tracing who an infected patient has been in contact with, the hope is to identify anyone who might have been infected and to stop the further spread of the disease.
COVID-19 contact tracing is primarily concerned with tracing the route among an infected person’s “close contacts.” A close contact is someone “who's been within 6 feet (2 meters) of a person with COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more within two days of the person's diagnosis.” [2]
Some churches are being required to keep lists of attendees for events like church services, baptisms, marriages, and funerals for contact tracing purposes. [3] For example, in Santa Clara county, in the guidelines for “Small Outdoor Ceremonies and Religious Gatherings,” churches must “maintain a list with the names and contact information of all participants. If a participant tests positive for COVID-19, the host [of the gathering] shall assist the County Public Health Department in any case investigation and contact tracing associated with the gathering.” [4]
Key Scriptures
Romans 13:1-2 “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”
Romans 13:10 “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
1 Timothy 2:1-2 “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
Mark 12:17 “Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at him.”
Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
Want to Know More?
Tyler & Bursch - Privacy, Constitutional Rights Violations Cause 2 Pastors to File Lawsuit Against Santa Clara County
Sacramento Bee - ‘I have broken no laws.’ How defiant Northern California church thwarted COVID-19 trackers
Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission - Statement of Principles of Church–Civic Partnership on Contact Tracing
CBS 13 Sacramento - Churches Help With Contact Tracing
Centers for Disease Control - Contact Tracing for COVID-19
Sacramento Bee - As counties reopen, California rushes to build an army of coronavirus ‘disease detectives’
Mayo Clinic - Contact tracing and COVID-19: What is it and how does it work?
Application
In an effort to fight the spread of COVID-19, many state and county officials have been requiring churches to collect the contact information of those who attend worship services and even some outdoor events like baptisms, weddings, and funerals. This is called contact tracing. If someone were to attend one of these events and display symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 within 2 days of that event, then health officials would be able to “trace” the possible routes that the disease could have spread. Ultimately, the goal would be to notify anyone who has been in close contact with the infected person so that the spread of the disease could be contained.
However, some churches feel that forcing them to engage in such measures is a violation of the individuals’ rights of privacy, rights of worship, and would place an unnecessary burden on churches. In addition, they point out that in some cases, similar gatherings are not required to maintain such lists. How should Christians respond to these issues?
What Does the Bible Say?
There are no Scriptures which talk about keeping lists for the purpose of aiding state health officials in tracking the spread of a disease. As with many other tensions which have developed between religious liberty and concerns for public health, this is an issue of wisdom and discernment for which the Bible provides guidance, but not definitive answers.
As has been stated in a previous article about submission to government and COVID-19, Christians have a number of competing interests and values to balance in this situation. This includes submitting to and honoring the governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-17), meeting corporately for worship (Hebrews 10:24-25), and wanting to love our neighbors through preventing the spread of a potentially dangerous virus (Matthew 22:39, Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14).
In addition, since Christians are also citizens of the United States, we should not be fearful of using our political rights to ensure that churches are being treated with fairness and equality. Just as Paul was not afraid to invoke his own political rights to advance the gospel (Acts 16:35-39, 22:22-29), neither should we be fearful.
Evaluating Contact Tracing
Finally, Christians should consider the pros and cons of keeping such lists.
On one hand, if an infected person did attend one of your services, contact tracing would allow health officials to notify others who attended that service. This could potentially prevent further spread of COVID-19 to others in your congregation. In regards to the privacy concerns, it should also be mentioned that the names of those attending would be held in possession of the church unless someone tested positive for COVID-19. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Maine put up a helpful webpage on their website dealing with potential privacy concerns and contact tracing. Other churches could do something similar to ease potential concerns.
On the other hand, contract tracing does place more logistical burdens on churches. In addition to the other health protocols already required like monitoring mask usage, social distancing, sanitizing surfaces, etc. this can feel like one more burdensome thing to keep track of and be accountable for. Churches should also not have additional burdens placed on them when other similar gatherings are not required.
Likewise, there are legitimate concerns as to whether the data collected poses an infringement on the privacy of those who attend. Does the government have a right to know who attends church services? How could the government use (or misuse) such data? For many, this can remind them of previous government infringement such as what occurred in Texas in 2014, where the mayor of Houston subpoenaed the sermons of pastors relating to LGBT issues. Any government action, no matter how well-intentioned, has the potential to be abused.
Conclusion
Contact tracing raises a number of legitimate concerns about privacy and religious liberty. Likewise, contact tracing presents potential public health benefits in helping fight the spread of COVID-19 and protecting members of your congregation from contracting the virus. In weighing the potential costs and benefits of complying with such orders, Christians may come to different conclusions as they seek to serve their congregations and communities best. No matter the decision, let it be an outworking of our desire to glorify God and looking out for others’ interests, not merely our own (Philippians 2:3-4).