Resuming Care-Filled Worship and Sacramental Life During a Pandemic
“The coronavirus pandemic has challenged churches to continue being the Church without gathering in person. In many places we have met that challenge by meeting online, live streaming worship, providing instructions for worship at home, and finding other ways to connect. Now churches face another challenge. As states “re-open,” how will we resume worship gatherings in person while the pandemic is still with us?
A care-filled response to that challenge is much more than unlocking the church doors and inviting all to come, sit, sing, and greet one another as had been our custom. We know the dangers posed and the risks taken if we were to do that. We care enough not to let that happen.
That’s why we, an ecumenical group of theologians, scientists, physicians, pastors, bishops, and practitioners from United Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran, Episcopal, Pan-Methodist, and Roman Catholic traditions, among others, have gathered in an extended consultation. We have brought to this consultation our particular areas of expertise and we have sought consensus on recommendations for worship, fellowship, and sacramental practices for our Churches in this pandemic. We have also shared our deliberations publicly through live stream and recorded video, receiving many helpful comments from those who have watched us at work. We joined this consultation because we care about people and their safety. And we care about finding ways to gather for worship in this new environment, ways that are rich with theological tradition and faithful in public witness.
We also care about the many leaders who are being asked to take on responsibilities for worship they had not previously imagined. Before we began our consultation, we surveyed pastors from across our denominations. Hundreds of them shared their questions and their dreams for worship gatherings to come. Here are the questions we saw surfacing the most:
What are the best ways we can keep physical distancing and disinfection protocols?
How can we enforce those protocols while also showing real hospitality that bridges all of our theological and social differences?
How will we find the leaders for all we now need to do?
How will we meet the increased need for financial and human resources as we incorporate physical distancing and ongoing, careful disinfection?
We hear your desire to keep people safe and your sense of being overwhelmed. We share your commitment to address divisions in our society that are magnified by the pandemic and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on people of color, people without access to health care, the elderly, and people who are at high risk.
We hear you saying that you want worship to be as rich and fulfilling as possible for those who can gather in the face of or despite the limitations needed so that all can worship safely in this pandemic.
Our consultation has developed this resource to help your congregations engage their own care-filled work to resume worship gatherings in the weeks or months ahead.