STACEY? STACEY: VICE PRESIDENT PENCE MET WITH A SMALL GROUP OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS TODAY WHILE HE WAS IN IOWA TO TALK ABOUT RESTARTING IN PERSON SERVICES. BUT SOME DENOMINATIONS AND FAITHS WERE NOT REPRESENTED IN THIS MEETING. KCCI’S KAYLA JAMES TELLS US WHY. KAYLA: STACEY, THOSE WHO WEREN’T THERE WEREN’T INVITED. AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT A DES MOINES PASTOR TELLS ME. HE SAYS NOT RECEIVING AN INVITE SEEMED ODD TO HIM, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE HIS CHURCH IS IN THE SAME BOAT AS SO MANY OTHERS ACROSS THE STATE. ♪ KAYLA: THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF WORSHIP MAY LOOK THE SAME AT DES MOINES’S ST. PAUL AME CHURCH, BUT THE EMPTY PARKING LOT TELLS A DIFFERENT STORY. SERVICES ARE COMPLETELY VIRTUAL. >> THE BIBLE SAYS THEIR EYES ARE CLOSED AND THEY CANNOT SEE WHO HE IS. KAYLA: AND WILL CONTINUE THIS WAY UNTIL CORONAVIRUS CASES GO DOWN FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR CONGREGATION. >> A MAJORITY OF THEM ARE OLDER ADULTS AND SENIORS. THAT’S ONE OF THE REASONS WE’RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IT. KAYLA: REVEREND GADDY SAYS THERE ARE 150 PEOPLE IN THE ST. PAUL CONGREGATION, MAKING UP A PORTION OF THE 600 MEMBERS IN THE NINE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHES ACROSS IOWA. SO WHEN VICE PRESIDENT PENCE HELD A DISCUSSION FRIDAY WITH SOME RELIGIOUS LEADERS ABOUT REOPENING THEIR DOORS -- >> I DON’T THINK I WAS EXPECTING AN INVITATION, NO. KAYLA: THE AME CHURCH DID NOT RECEIVE AN INVITE, WHICH SLIGHTLY CONCERNED REVEREND GADDY. >> ESPECIALLY WITH THE WAY THE COVID-19 EPIDEMIC HAS IMPACTED PEOPLE OF COLOR, BLACK PEOPLE NATIONWIDE. KAYLA: THE AME CHURCH WASN’T THE ONLY ONE WITHOUT AN INVITE. THIS STATEMENT FROM THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE OF IOWA EXPLAINS THEY’RE AWARE LEADERS FROM MAINLINE PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS WERE NOT INVITED, DESPITE THE ALLIANCE SAYING THEY DID ATTEMPT TO REACH OUT. >> I NEVER HEAD BACK FROM THE -- HEARD BACK FROM THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE. KAYLA: KCCI DID HEAR BACK FROM THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, WHO TELL US THEY DID NOT ORGANIZE THE ROUNDTABLE. WE’VE SINCE REACHED OUT TO THE VICE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE TO FIND OUT HOW THOSE TAKING PART IN THE DISCUSSION WERE PICKED. WE HAVE NOT YET HEARD BACK. BUT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE, THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE OF IOWA SAYS IT WANTS TO SEE CHANGE, INCLUDING MORE DENOMINATIONS. >> IT ONLY ENRICHES YOUR CONVERSATION IF YOU BRING IN VOICES FROM DIFFERENT TRADITIONS AND DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. KAYLA: CONNIE RYAN SAYS SHE HASN’T HEARD OF MANY CHURCHES WILLING TO OPEN THEIR DOORS SO SOON. AS FOR REVEREND GADDY, HE TELLS ME IT WILL TAKE LOWER NUMBERS, MORE TESTING AVAILABILITY, AND HIS CONGREGATION TELLING H