Dear Friends,
To slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus I have closed our Diocesan offices and am directing churches to be open only in a very limited capacity making use of the fewest staff people possible and encouraging remaining staff people to work from home. If at all possible please continue to pay all staff their regular weekly wages.
All of our upcoming Diocesan events have been moved to online formats, including:
- The Chrism Mass will be offered in an online format – more details will be forthcoming.
- All diocesan committee meetings and meetings with me have been moved to conference call or Zoom formats.
- Virtual worship services should be recorded and offered with the least number of people possible, a maximum of four, including the person filmingTo increase my connectivity with you in this time of physical distancing, please look for weekly announcements and for opportunities to be with each other and to hear from me such as:
The Lenten Book Study
Weekly clergy zoom and conference calls
Deanery calls for clergy and lay leaders
Weekly meditations and
Sunday sermons
My staff has curated a list of resources for worshiping online that we will continually update. For a list of EDOMI online and remote worship services, click here. To add your congregation’s offerings to this list, email astania@edomi.org.
In this uncertain time, I recognize that our hunger relief ministries are more important than ever. Please implement curbside only pick-up and contact your County Health Department for the most up-to-date guidelines as to how these very important services can best be offered to our neighbors in need.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or my staff. You can find my staff’s contact information here. I encourage you to view the Presiding Bishop’s recent statement on the COVID-19 outbreak.
In Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Bonnie A. Perry
11th Bishop of the Diocese of Michigan