A Message about Masking, from the Bishop
May 14, 2021
Dear Church,
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:12-13)
With the CDC’s updated guidance as of yesterday, indicating that they recommend that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks while engaging in most activities, but that businesses and localities may still require masks, we have reached another point where determining what actions rightly follow our Lord’s command to demonstrate sacrificial love for one’s friends during the pandemic is complicated.
In our synod, I know that there are some congregations who will understand Jesus’ command to be faithfully enacted by continuing to wear masks when gathered, in order to both protect those who are vulnerable and because they do not want to establish a different set of rules for those who are vaccinated and those who are not.
There are other congregations where I know they will understand Jesus’ commandment to be faithfully enacted by following the new CDC guidelines and only requiring masks for those who are unvaccinated.
In conversation with my Episcopal counterpart, The Right Rev. Jennifer Reddall, I suggest similar protocols as the Arizona Episcopal Diocese:
· Congregations may choose to continue to require masks of all people attending worship or other activities.
· Congregations wishing to permit fully vaccinated individuals to attend worship and other activities without wearing masks should consult with their congregation council.
I want to be clear that in congregations choosing the second option, people who are not fully vaccinated (defined as 2 weeks past the final dose of vaccine) are still required to wear masks at all times while at church. In other words, if you do not want to wear a mask at church, you must be vaccinated.
This is going to require trust on the part of people who arrive without a mask. Your congregation will be trusting you to be honest about your vaccine status. This is also a moment to remember that everyone—clergy, lay leaders, church members—is tired and exhausted from the last 15 months, and that the first instinct towards encountering someone who believes a particular congregation or the church as a whole is choosing the “wrong” option should be to practice compassion.
This is not as easy as going back to practices from the way they were 15 months ago. There are still sacramental practices and capacity guidelines to consider so that those still vulnerable to Covid-19 may worship safely. I am grateful for you and for your leadership during these times that have been all but clear. May God continue to hold us all as we faithfully serve and proclaim Jesus.
Called to serve,
