“Churches were closed by the government.”
Churches continues to worship during the American Revolution. All priests had been ordained in England as there were no bishops and some did return to England. Many stayed. Those whose congregations were loyal to the Revolution just scratched out all references to the monarchy in the Book of Common Prayer. Lay leaders read prayer services provided in the prayer book in churches without clergy. George Washington was such a lay leader in his parish. The new church, the Episcopal Church, wrote their Constitution in Philadelphia during the same time period the US Constitution was being written in Freedom Hall. Paul Revere was a member of the Old North Church in Boston and Patrick Henry gave his “give me freedom or give me death” proclamation from an Episcopal church in Richmond.
“Those whose congregations were loyal to the Revolution just scratched out all references to the monarchy in the Book of Common Prayer”
Sure, but many did not support the Revolution. And their freedom of speech and worship was far from respected.
The churches were forced to close. The priests arrested or forced into exile.