May 18, 2021

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I thank God for all we have done together and for all the ways we have supported one another this past year. God’s good work in this parish never stopped even when our doors were closed. As I said in my sermon on Sunday, we have prayed, fed, taught, cheered, sung, organized, written, worshipped, confirmed, and baptized our way through this pandemic year. Thanks be to God and to you!

As many of you know, the CDC has issued new guidelines for vaccinated persons to allow them to resume activities without wearing masks or being physically distant from one another. Right after these new guidelines were announced, our bishop, Glenda Curry, sent word to the Diocese of Alabama that it was time to take the next steps in our gradual return to pre-pandemic parish life. She has set a deadline of June 1^st for all parishes in the diocese to implement the following changes:

• Social distancing and masks for fully vaccinated people are no longer required for fully for all activities, inside or outside, including singing, officiating, reading, preaching, leading Sunday School, etc.
• With the CDC, the bishop still recommends that people who are not vaccinated wear masks when gathering indoors, singing indoors, or for outdoor crowded events.

The vestry and I have discussed these new guidelines and the bishop’s mandate. Following her guidance, we are dropping the requirement that people sign up before attending services and will not require vaccinated persons to wear masks at parish events. In her communication with church staff who work with children, Bishop Glenda has also made it clear that children do not need to wear masks at indoor or outdoor activities, unless that is the desire of their parents or guardians. Anyone may, of course, choose to wear a mask at church events. We will continue to provide masks for every person who needs one and will have multiple sanitizing stations in each of the buildings on our campus. For your own safety, we do request that unvaccinated people wear a mask when gathering indoors here at Trinity. We will not be checking vaccination cards, but we do encourage everyone to get vaccinated when you have the opportunity. We will still make our services available online for people who are unable to join us in person.

While this gradual return to normalcy is a welcome one, I am conscious that each person will have their own response to this change. So, whether we’re masked or unmasked, let us continue to support and care for one another with compassion and understanding. In the words of St. Paul, “May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Jesus Christ, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 15:5-6).

In Christ’s love,

Callie+