From the Rector

Dear Friends in Christ,

As I reported recently, a subcommittee of the Vestry has been reviewing our COVID protocols with an eye toward making significant steps toward more normalcy in our life together.

I’m grateful to them (Carol Jones, Bonnie Winn, Barbara Cone, Elizabeth Wood, and Mtr Mary Trainor) for their diligent and thoughtful work. Last night the Vestry reviewed their proposal and after a good conversation has passed the following changes to our protocols.

Here are the bullet points:

1. Masks will no longer be required at the 7:45 service for fully vaccinated people.

2. Masks will continue to be required for everyone at the 10:00 service.

3. Any group using a room at less than 50% of the room’s capacity will not be required to mask.

4. Parish ministries and groups will be able to reserve rooms for meetings and gatherings beginning July 18.

5. Communion will be administered in both kinds, Bread and Wine, however if Wine is received it will be intincted (dipped into the chalice) by the minister (who will have applied hand sanitizer) and given in a manner as to avoid countless hands going into the chalice. Of course, it is always more than acceptable to only receive the Bread.

6. Coffee hour will resume in the Murphey Gallery with coffee and individually wrapped treats available and all doors open for ventilation. Hand-sanitizing will be available prior to and following serving coffee. Seating at the round tables will be limited to four people per table.

Unvaccinated individuals should continue to wear masks at church at all times.

Each of these changes is a step forward. Our hope and intent had been to eliminate mask requirements entirely. However, as more research comes out about singing and spread, given that there is no vaccine approved for children yet, and as the Delta variant of the virus has proven itself to be far more communicable, it seems wise to continue to have masking at 10:00am.

All changes are compatible with the June 18, 2021, Diocesan guidelines available here.

Our Covenant of Care, which outlines how we will exercise our responsibility to one another, is available in the next story, or by using this link.

The subcommittee will continue to meet to review the data coming in, especially around the Delta variant and other variants, and continue to assess the protocols for update. Our expectation is that we will release an update in August as well. 

All along the way we have sought to respond to what the science and data tell us and to act in a way that is responsible but not alarmist. These updates to our protocols continue that way of responding to a changing situation while recognizing that there are going to be differences of opinion about risk. We take your health and the health of the wider community seriously, as part of our faith’s commitment to the well-being of all people.

I’m grateful to each of you for your patience and thoughtfulness in all of this and will continue my prayers not only for our community’s health but for wisdom in discernment as we balance so many different questions in this unprecedented time.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Robert