Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to let in-person religious services resume, even in cities and counties that had limited the size of gatherings to protect against coronavirus exposure, caught several local officials by surprise and spurred faith leaders to weigh the risks and benefits of inviting worshipers back.

Abbott’s decision, announced Tuesday, proved popular with religious conservatives who had been chafing over local stay-at-home orders that declined to classify houses of worship as essential services or banned religious gatherings of more than 10 people.

The situation was seen as a slap in the face, said Houston lawyer Jared Woodfill, who filed a legal challenge to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s stay-at-home order on behalf of three Christian pastors and conservative leader Steve Hotze.

"Under Hidalgo’s order, essential businesses included liquor stores, bike repair shops, housekeepers, even pool cleaners. She picks and chooses winners and losers, and she chose the church to be a loser," Woodfill said.

"The pastors who have contacted me said it's time for the church to stand up," he said.

To counter a virus with no vaccine that is spread by person-to-person contact, dozens of city and county leaders had issued stay-at-home orders that allow only essential businesses and workers to operate openly, encourage others to work from home and limit social interaction. Nearly 9 in 10 Texans were living under those rules when Abbott issued his new order Tuesday.

Hours after Abbott’s order overruled local rules for gatherings in houses of worship, Austin Mayor Steve Adler pleaded for faith leaders to avoid in-person services as part of his daily online message to the community.

"I was surprised, just because there's such a need for big groups not to gather, and because houses of worship seem to be doing such a really good job of handling services remotely," Adler told the American-Statesman on Wednesday.

Resuming in-person services would be a mistake, Adler said, exposing a congregation to increased risk that could further spread the coronavirus to the wider community.

The relaxed rules also could send the wrong message that larger gatherings are not risky, he said.

Adler praised Abbott’s call for faith leaders to hold in-person services only if online alternatives were not an option and only if proper social distancing and other hygiene recommendations were followed.

Still, Adler said, safe distancing "would certainly make it less risky, but it's just a really hard thing to do. And you probably have lots of people touching the same surfaces, even if they are 6 feet apart."

Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape, who had instituted a stay-at-home order effective Tuesday that banned religious services of more than 10 people, said he was surprised that the governor would allow larger gatherings.

"If this order seems to relax religious gatherings, I think that's an oversight," said Pape, who like Abbott is a Republican.

Still, Pape said, the heart of the governor's order matched Bastrop County's stay-at-home rules by encouraging online and drive-in services and by requiring social distancing.

"I don't think the governor's order conflicts with mine," he said.

Amid confusion over the order, Abbott issued guidance late Wednesday afternoon, clarifying that some congregations will have to avoid large gatherings, based on federal guidelines.

Those guidelines recommend that faith leaders cancel all in-person services in areas with "substantial community spread of COVID-19," while those in areas with moderate spread of the illness should allow only smaller gatherings with social distancing measures and should cancel activities with 10 or more people when high-risk populations, such as those over age 65 or with underlying medical conditions, are present, Abbott said.

In addition, any house of worship that conducts in-person services should instruct sick people to stay away, keep a safe distance between participants and disinfect common areas frequently, the guidance said.

For the 127 Catholic churches in 25 Central Texas counties, Bishop Joe Vásquez of Austin has advised clergy to continue celebrating Mass with no more than 10 people present and, for the churches that can, livestream services for online viewing, spokesman Christian González said.

"That’s for the common good and to stop the spread of the virus as best we can," González said.

David Haney, pastor of Riverbend Church, a megachurch in West Austin, said he appreciated Abbott's gesture of classifying churches, synagogues and houses of worship as an essential service.

Even so, Riverbend will decline the governor's offer and will continue to make Sunday services available to an online audience, he said.

"Our campus has closed down for the last three weeks, and we will continue to do that basically until ... we are absolutely certain we are not putting people at risk," Haney said.

"I think people enjoy going to church in their pajamas," he said. "The technology allows us to stay in touch. We're taking advantage of that. It's inspiring a whole new level of creativity for our teams and the way we take care of each other."

Congregation Agudas Achim, a conservative synagogue in Northwest Austin, has been offering services online and plans to continue that practice "for the next couple of weeks," updating that plan as needed, a representative said Wednesday.

But in Houston, Pastor Juan Bustamante of City on a Hill Church plans to hold in-person services Sunday.

"To be honest, we haven’t stopped our services because we have a deep conviction in our beliefs and how much the community needs it," said Bustamente, who was among the pastors seeking to overturn Harris County’s stay-home order after being threatened with criminal charges for allowing the gatherings.

Bustamante said his 90-minute services occur outdoors, with hand sanitizer provided and with chairs clustered 10 feet apart to allow families to sit together, yet apart from others.

"We are encouraged that we have a great governor who sees how the church is essential," he said. "We are rejoicing."

Woodfill, who filed the legal challenge with the Texas Supreme Court on behalf of Bustamante and others, said he will switch gears and file state District Court challenges to stay-at-home orders in Harris, Galveston, Montgomery and Fort Bend counties.

Relying on Abbott’s executive order, "we’ll be asking District Court judges to declare the (local) orders void with respect to provisions applying to houses of worship," he said.