Reopening Plan

Originally published July 28, 2020
Revised as of September 29, 2020

Although many people have expressed to me their ardent desire to come back to church, no one has told me that they think we should have resumed in-person offerings by now. At the end of May, our staff made tentative plans for launching an outdoor service, but, as soon as we made them, there was a dramatic spike in active cases in our area. That increase has not abated, and the thought of children and teachers going back to school and the university filling up again is adding even more anxiety to our community. As this time of isolation and distancing has stretched from weeks to months, it begins to feel as if it will never end. We begin to wonder whether we will ever come back to church again.

But we will. Absolutely. Without question. Into this moment of uncertainty, grief, and worry, I think that it is important as a matter of faith for us to remember that we will come back. We do not know when that will be, and we recognize that, at least at first, our return will be limited and different from what we are used to, but in time we will come back together in the church that we love in order to worship the God who loves us. We cannot do that except in ways that we believe to be safe, but we must not lose sight of the fact that our church is a part of something even bigger and longer lasting than our own 172-year history. Our need to adapt and improvise to the pandemic may last for years, but we believe that God is with us as God has been with God’s people throughout the centuries.

I do not have a specific timeline to offer, but I would like to share our tentative plans for a phased approach to resuming in-person gatherings at St. Paul’s. We have sketched out these plans according to guidelines offered by the diocese and by public health officials. They may change as we learn more about the nature of the transmission of the coronavirus, but I want you to see what we are planning. We hope to be able to offer limited outdoor gatherings (Phase Two) after we see what happens after schools and the university start back, but we recognize the need to wait and watch for now.

The sources we are using for COVID data:

• Active Case Information
  Arkansas Center for Health Improvement

• Positivity Rate Information
  Arkansas Department of Health

Phase One
No In-Person Gatherings

When active cases are rising and the rate of positive tests are above 10%

• Office closed

• No indoor or outdoor meetings except 12-step programs

• Online worship only

• Pastoral visits are only for emergencies and take place outdoors if possible

• Physical distancing measures (masks, 6-feet separation, etc.) required

Phase Two
Limited Outdoor Meetings & Worship

When active cases are steady or declining for 14 days and the rate of positive tests is below 10%

• Office closed

• Outdoor meetings for groups small enough to maintain physical distancing measures

• Online worship is primary; outdoor worship offered   

• Point person required for in-person groups for contact tracing and physical distancing enforcement

• Pastoral visits are only as-needed and can be indoors with not-at-risk individuals

• Physical distancing measures (masks, 6-feet separation, etc.) required

Phase Three
Limited Indoor Meetings and Worship

When active cases are steady or declining for 21 days and rate of positive tests is below 5%

• Office open but staff allowed to work from home if needed

• Indoor & outdoor meetings for groups small enough to maintain physical distancing measures

• Point person for in-person gatherings for contact tracing and physical distancing enforcement

• Online worship is primary; indoor & outdoor worship offered

• Regular pastoral visits may resume but not for at-risk individuals

• Physical distancing measures (masks, 6-feet separation, etc.) required

Phase Four
No Restrictions

When outbreaks are isolated and not overlapping with our congregation or when an effective vaccine is available

Again, this outline is not intended to be exhaustive, nor is it presumed to be set in stone. As our understanding of the pandemic changes and as our circumstances change, we will adapt. For now, I want you to remember that we are still the church even when we are apart. We continue to be held together by prayer, worship, and formation. We continue to meet the needs of our parish and the wider community through pastoral phone calls, virtual offerings, and ministries like Community Meals. And, even if we do not know when it will be, we can look forward to the time when we can come back together safely. As Christians, we are in the habit of hoping for things not seen, and our endurance through this pandemic is an opportunity for us to undertake hope as a spiritual practice.

Yours Faithfully,

Evan