For millions of people in Michigan, attending religious services is a way to connect with God and also with the community. On Sunday, churches across the state are usually packed with worshippers looking to find solace from the everyday challenges and anxieties of the week.

But concern over the spread of coronavirus has led to the cancellation of services in churches and other houses of worship — Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and others. The pews will be empty in many churches Sunday as they close their doors or congregants choose to stay home.

Some faith leaders are trying to find ways to still connect with each other, through livestreams and encouraging followers to keep in touch with their fellow congregants outside of church.

"I invite you to refrain from in-person, public worship for the remainder of this month," said the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, the Rev. Bonnie Perry, to church members, but added that "I ask that you be even more connected with one another in this time of medical uncertainty. Let us connect by phone, online and in small groups. Let us check not just on those of us who are vulnerable, but on all of us — for now more than ever, we are in need of God’s love, which we so often feel from each other."

As Easter Sunday approaches next month on April 12, there is uncertainty as to how long services will be suspended. Faith leaders want to be cautious as authorities in Michigan recommend to not have gatherings of more than 100 people.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit announced Friday it's stopping all Masses until April 6.

In Dearborn, two prominent mosques shut their doors for Friday prayers, one of the most important gatherings for Muslims. Leaders can't recall the last time they shut down Friday services.

The largest evangelical Protestant church in metro Detroit, Kensington, canceled Sunday services

One of the largest and oldest synagogues in Michigan, Congregation Shaarey Zedek, of Southfield, also has stopped all in-person services.

On Friday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order banning all gatherings of more than 250 people, an order that includes houses of worship. The state said churches can stagger their services if they have more than 250 people attending.

At the Islamic Institute of Knowledge, Imam Baqr Berry said that one of the reasons they decided to halt services was because many of their congregants are old, a group that health experts say are more vulnerable to develop complications from coronavirus. During services and other events, the mosque can be crowded with many shaking hands and hugging each other when they meet.

There are "many elderly people who come to pray, especially for Friday prayers," Berry told the Free Press. "We love them and have a commitment to protect a big number of people. This is a precaution, especially of the elderly."

Even just one person with coronavirus "can come in and do a big harm for this group of people," Berry said.

The mosque's funeral services will remain open as needed, but the mosque won't hold memorial services with gatherings, said its leaders.

Oakland County sent an open letter to faith leaders on Tuesday about the coronavirus, asking them to adopt practices such as not shaking hands to stop its spread.

Kensington, announced Thursday in a statement their leaders have "prayerfully decided to suspend all in-person services and gatherings starting Saturday through the end of March — following Michigan’s recommendations regarding social distancing."

Based in Troy, Kensington has six churches in Michigan with about 12,000 people in attendance per week, said a Kensington spokeswoman."Kensington Church will be streaming services in lieu of meeting in person to protect the vulnerable, the elderly and the ones who depend on us to defend them," the statement said. "The decision is not one of fear, but was made with wisdom, discernment and mindfulness."

Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield also canceled "all community gatherings ... including prayer services, adult education and programming, and all youth education and programming including religious school," said Rabbi Aaron Starr.

The halting of services and gatherings may make observing Jewish customs such as a minyan, a quorum of 10 Jewish adults needed for prayer, difficult but "there is ample precedent in the Talmud and elsewhere that when life is threatened, organized prayers may be abbreviated or even eliminated," Starr said. "Pikuach Nefesh — saving a life — is among Judaism’s highest values, and the action plan that we are following is in keeping with our understanding of Jewish law."

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The Well, a Jewish youth group in metro Detroit, also has announced it is canceling all of its events for the month of March. Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Hills also has stopped in-person gatherings, said the Jewish Community Council of metro Detroit. Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, the largest Jewish congregation in Michigan, is canceling services until April 19, Rabbi Joshua Bennett said.

On Thursday, the Michigan Board of Rabbis sent a letter "asking our fellow Jewish community members to work together to mitigate the spread of this illness by practicing social distancing and health awareness."

The letter said "the constituent congregations of the Michigan Board of Rabbis have suspended many of their services, minyan, classes and other activities for the time being."

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The Islamic Center of America said in a Facebook post Thursday that it is also canceling Friday prayers and daily prayers, as well as weekend classes, events, meetings, tours, It will only allow families for funeral services.

But the mosque's statement said it will allow "individual worshippers who wish to pray" provided they bring their own prayer mats, other prayer items and do their religious washing known as 'wudu' before they come to the mosque.

Late Thursday, the Imam's Council of Michigan said in a statement it recommends suspending Friday prayers in mosques, saying that Islamic tradition allows it to be canceled in certain cases.

On Friday, Bishop David Bard issued a recommendation that Michigan United Methodist Churches "refrain from all in-person gatherings for the remainder of March."

At the Hindu Temple in Canton, it is "canceling all big events and classes until further notice," it said in an email. The "temple will only be open for devotees" doing prayer services known as darshan. No food will be served in the temple.

The Bharatiya Temple in Troy, the oldest Hindu temple in metro Detroit, said on Saturday in an email that it is closing the temple to members and the public. Priests will still perform services, but the public is not allowed to attend. They said themay livestream the services.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit had initially said in a statement late Thursday that Masses will continue. But on Friday afternoon, it changed its position and said it will now stop all Masses until April 6. That includes on April 5, Palm Sunday, an important day one week before Easter on April 12.

In an open letter posted Friday, Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron wrote: “The decision to temporarily suspend public Masses was not and must never be taken lightly. As Mass is a commemoration of Christ’s great act of love for us, we take this unprecedented measure with eyes fixed on him and his greatest commandment to love one another, which in this difficult time means that we ensure the health and safety of our community by following the wise counsel of local, state, and federal government and health officials.”

In a statement, the Archdiocese of Detroit said: "The decision to suspend public Masses was made at the strong recommendation of health care professionals, including Ascension Health leadership, as well as government officials, in an effort to help stop the spread of the virus...."

The concern over large crowds is one of the reasons some mosques are closing.

During Islamic prayers, Muslims are often close to one another as they line up to pray, said Fouad Berry, a board member of the Islamic Institute of Knowledge.

"This juma (Friday) prayer by its nature requires everyone to be adjacent to one another," Berry told the Free Press. "For now we can do our prayers individually or in an immediate family group at home. No need to exacerbate the health situation further."

Religious leaders also asked people to look out for the vulnerable.

"These are difficult, scary and unprecedented times," said Rabbi Starr of Congregation Shaarey Zedek. "I am encouraging our community to please join us for prayer and learning via the computer. Also, if one has a loved one who might be isolated by the current state of affairs, I am asking you to regularly call that person. ... Indeed, may the One who blessed our ancestors bless all of us with healing of body and healing of spirit. May God bless us all with peace."

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or 313-223-4792. Twitter @nwarikoo