COVID-19 Guidelines for In-Person Worship (May 1, 2021)
News
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance that may allow reducing restrictions on gatherings particularly in outdoor spaces. In the spirit of doing no harm, Bishop Farr suggests that local churches first consider their county health guidelines*, continue to mask for indoor events and adhere to social distancing guidelines. That said, Bishop Farr trusts the local church to make decisions regarding safety protocols for their ministry context.
If a local church decides to lift its masking or social distancing policy, don’t do so all at once. Offer a gradual approach. If a local church lifts is policies and has a case of COVID-19, return to stricter guidelines.
*Please continue to look at your local (county) vaccination rates as well as test positivity rates. The state of Missouri claims that 36.4% of the state have initiated the vaccine with only 27.8% completed. We celebrate the progress toward vaccinating our population.