Almost 500 pastors in California are planning to open their doors to group worship again at the end of this month, regardless of state restrictions.

Bob Tyler, a religious freedom attorney, says a number of pastors are planning to preach as normal on Sunday, May 31. This is in spite of restrictions on gatherings by the state of California due to the coronavirus pandemic, CBN News reports.

"The churches are not asking for permission," says Tyler, who believes the state has been in a state of emergency longer than necessary.

However, churches do plan to implement social distancing measures upon reopening. Several pastors have signed a petition to allow their religious gatherings to resume and have coordinated a plan for reopening to present to California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Newsom has listed churches as part of the third stage of reopening in the state, currently, which means it could still be months before churches are permitted to open.

"We'll give the governor an opportunity to amend his order. If he doesn't, these pastors have told me that they're committed to opening regardless," says Tyler.

Earlier this month, Judge John Mendez in Sacramento ruled that Newsom could temporarily ban church gatherings for the sake of public health. The ruling was made in light of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic.

The ruling has not deterred Tyler or the pastors, however, and pastors are arguing in favour of reopening churches, also for the sake of public health.

"We have all kinds of emotional issues that are going on. We have marital issues in our church. We're seeing a spike in depression, suicide, drug addiction," says Pastor Matt Brown of Sandals Church in Riverside.

These struggles make it important that churches reopen, California pastors are arguing.

Dr. John Jackson, president of William Jessup University outside Sacramento, says he disagrees with businesses being allowed to reopen before churches.

"I find it very inappropriate that I can go to the grocery store and buy a loaf of bread and be with all other kinds of people. I can go to the hardware store and get my supplies for my home maintenance but I cannot go to a church," Jackson says.

Mendez addressed this concern in his ruling, arguing that shoppers attending a business to purchase a specific item presents a different level of risk than people communing together at church.

Jackson also says people of faith require human connection, especially during these uncertain times.

"The presence of God matters, but touch matters," he says, adding that technology is not a replacement for physical presence, the risk of which can be mitigated through social distancing.

Dr. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptists' Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, says the real story in the midst of the pandemic is "how well congregations and governments have been working together so far."

Moore encourages churches to continue to abide by and work with the recommendations of the local health authorities on the subject of reopening.

He also says churches should be seen as essential as any other gathering.

"I don't think that churches should be treated differently because they're churches. The issue has to be safety and so you have some areas where churches are treated in a different category that sees churches as less essential than other means of gathering."

Most California churches planning to reopen at the end of the month will operate with 25 or 30 per cent capacity. Some churches may implement a reservation system and add more services to accommodate the attendance of more churchgoers.

"I don't want to blow our witness," says Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel in Chino Hills, referencing Romans 13. Hibbs says he does not want to disobey the government but he is also hoping for in-person worship gatherings and the ability to visit those who are sick and dying.