May 7, 2020
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As social distancing restrictions are relaxed here in South Carolina, it’s important to think carefully about how and when we move toward the resumption of public worship as a Diocese.
As the deanery clericus conversations the past few weeks have clearly revealed, this is a complicated challenge.
Therefore, the conditions under which the Bishop will allow public worship to resume are detailed in the attached Guidelines. It is the first step in what we anticipate will be a multi-phased process. These are meant to provide boundaries for each parish to make plans that are fitting for their community. They will be updated periodically as conditions dictate. They go into effect Sunday, May 17, though no church is compelled to begin public worship on that date. Anyone wishing to do so must submit a written plan to the Bishop’s office, following these guidelines, five days in advance.
Also enclosed is an example of how a parish may communicate implementation of these guidelines.
As we seek to understand the restrictions and allowances of the Bishop’s guidelines, it may be helpful to think about three principle issues…
I am afraid the pandemic has a long way to go yet. The old things have been swept away and we have had to do a new thing as we have been doing for the last few weeks.
This is a time of opportunity and a chance to lead in our communities but only if we embrace the new normal. In some ways the tech savy wonderful Diocese of South Carolina is in a great positition to develop that and to go where the people are and have been for some years – online.
Keep safe and stay at home and embrace the opportunities God has given us.