In May of 2020 the President of the UUA, Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, shared important recommendations about gathering. It is recommended that UU Congregations and communities plan to meet virtually through May 2021. Let that sink in for a moment. It is a hard thing to consider.
Rev. Frederick-Gray wrote,
“While there is much public conversation about “reopening,” the reality is public health officials consistently predict a long trajectory for this pandemic. A majority of our congregational members, leaders, and staff members are in high-risk categories. Our care for the well-being and safety of our members and staff must be a priority in this pandemic.
Additionally, religious gatherings are considered highly contagious events. The acts of singing, the familiarity of people across households, the multigenerational community of children, youth, adults and seniors-the things that make our congregations so special-also create more risk for spreading the virus.” The full letter can be found here. https://www.uua.org/
We miss being with you in person. We know that physical separation has costs, and that it impacts each of us differently. We know some of you are really struggling and others are doing alright given the circumstances.
We also know that we will need to re-image just about everything about ‘doing church.’ We will be working with the rest of the staff team and congregational leaders to live into the mission of the congregation in new ways.
If you are reading these recommendations for the first time, we know that it is a lot to take in. And, if the Coming of Age youth credos and the Board of Trustees leading the Congregational meeting are any indication-we will weather this strange and unpredictable storm with courage, creativity, compassion, and care. -Rev. Wendy and Rev. Lynn