Dear Signal Mountain Church Family,
I know that there is a lot of anxiety going around about the Coronavirus. The situation is one that is changing rapidly and has changed significantly in the past few days. Things at church are no exception. The Bishop has issued the statement found following this message. I encourage you to read it in its entirety, but let me summarize it. She has asked churches to suspend all large-scale gatherings, including worship, for the next two weeks.
Let me tackle how this affects us in order:
The Fish Fry dates for March 13th and March 22nd are canceled. If you have prepaid for fish and would like a refund please let the church know. We will not be holding public worship on Sunday the 15th or Sunday the 22nd. Deb, the Brooks and I are working out plans to have a live stream worship service these Sundays at 11AM on Facebook live. Please look for an email with the details of how to participate in that. There will be no fellowship lunch this Sunday and the Administrative Council Meeting meant to follow worship the 22nd will also be postponed. There will be no Bible Study or Choir practice on March 18th or 25th. We will still need a small number of drivers for the meal ministry on the 18th please contact Brenda Monroe if you are willing to drive, but only come if she says she needs you. It is my prayer that we will be able to return to our regular schedule of worship and activities on March 29th.
Please do what you and your family need to do to stay well. I also ask that you say a special prayer for those members of our congregation who are in high risk populations. Ecclesiastes 3:5 tells us, “there is a time to embrace and time to refrain from embracing.” At this time we may not be able to gather and embrace as we are used to, but we are still a church and we are still a family. Let us embrace one another in prayer, let us reach out with a phone call to those who may be alone, and let us show grace to the people around us struggling to deal with this difficult situation and the decisions they face. Please check the church website and facebook for more information as the situation unfolds.
Your Fellow Worker in the Gospel,
Rev. Caleb Pitkin
Begin Bishops Message
My Dear Holston Friends,
I did not realize on January 31 when I sat at an Emory University
Board of Trustees meeting listening to a medical expert tell us about research
and work with the CDC in Atlanta that the Nouvelle Corona Virus would have
spread so rapidly in six weeks for us to be talking about the number of persons
who have been infected with this deadly virus and we would have such a high
death toll around the world.
I am writing to you during a busy week as the Cabinet and I
prepare for another year of ministry. Over the last few days, we have been
aware of the tension and anxiety that continues to rise as we learn more and
more about the COVID-19 virus in the United States.
This afternoon I spoke with Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the
North Carolina Conference about this serious concern to our community. I
discovered that Bishop Ward and Bishop Paul Leeland of the Western North
Carolina Conference have asked United Methodists throughout their state to
cease public worship and other gatherings over the next two weeks.
Out of an abundance of caution and our concern for you, our
churches, and communities, the Cabinet and I strongly urge the churches of
Holston Conference to suspend worship and large-group gatherings beginning
today for the next two weeks.
Yesterday, the World Health Organization identified COVID-19
as a pandemic. We have learned from the spread of the virus that if we delay
responding the virus spreads exponentially and overwhelms our hospitals and
health care systems. It is my understanding that social distancing is the most
effective way of slowing the spread of the virus.
According to Dr. Wes Wallace, an adjunct professor of
emergency medicine at the School of Medicine at the University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill; medical director of State Medical Assistance Team 2,
based at the University of North Carolina; medical officer in NC-1, the federal
Disaster Medical Assistance team based in North Carolina; and a member of
University United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill:
“If we use
social distancing to slow transmission of COVID-19, patients will arrive at
hospitals at a much slower rate, and lifesaving treatment for the critically
ill will remain available. Additionally, we will be given more time to
manufacture protective gear for health care workers, do research that may lead
to identification of effective medicines, and perhaps experience a seasonal
decline in disease transmission rates.
For social
distancing to be effective, it must begin early — so early that it may feel
unneeded and silly. If we wait until its need is obvious, it is too late.
The faith
community has an important role to play in slowing the speed of disease
transmission. Large gatherings of people are a petri dish for spreading the
infection. For a period of time, I strongly urge our religious communities to
suspend traditional services and gatherings and find other ways to practice and
sustain our faith. Our witness and our example may save many lives, especially
the lives of those at risk in our own congregations.”
Please use your discretion regarding smaller gatherings such
as small groups, Bible studies, and other meetings. These precautions are not
only important for your safety but for the health and welfare of the entire
community. While we are in unfamiliar territory, health care professionals
advise that this is necessary for slowing the rate of the infection.
During this time of unusual decisions, United Methodist
congregations across the denomination are finding creative ways to continue our
prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness to others. It is my prayer that
we will do the same.
Grace and peace,
Dindy Taylor
Resident
Bishop
Holston Conference of
The United Methodist Church