Bishop Audrey Scanlan, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central PA
Posted on 11/17/2020 1:36:47 PM PST by lightman
As COVID-19 infection rates have begun surging once again throughout much of the state, the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania has issued a statement suspending in-person church services until next year.
The statement, issued by Bishop Audrey Scanlan on Nov. 14, stated that COVID-19 infection rates “are as high- and higher- now than ever and they show no sign of decreasing. Pennsylvania’s rates of infection are now four times what they were from our summer’s lowest ebb, and two of the counties in our diocese are among the top ten counties for virus transmission in the Commonwealth.”
59 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties are now listed as having a substantial community spread of COVID-19, which includes nearly the entire area covered by the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania. The diocese serves 17,500 members and 71 congregations spanning the southern border with Maryland to the northern border with New York.
“While there is hope of an effective and widely distributed vaccine within months, we are not there yet,” the statement continued. “It has become increasingly clear that we must respond to this surge in infections with, again, a shift in our practices as worshipping communities.”
According to the statement, a meeting with the diocese’s Task Force on Operations determined that the safest decision was to end in-person worship and parish meetings starting on Saturday, November 21, and continuing through the end of 2020. Similar measures are being taken in Episcopal diocese in northwestern Pennsylvania and in the Bethlehem diocese.
“I know that as we approach Advent and Christmas, two of our most beloved seasons of the Christian year, that this news will be painful,” the statement read. “Please know that it is with your safety and the health of the citizens of our Commonwealth in mind that the leadership of our diocese arrived at this decision and that we grieve the loss of our traditions in this holy time of year along with you.”
The Central Pennsylvania diocese still plans to perform outdoor worship, weather permitting and with masks and social distancing, as well as online streaming services. Plans are also being discussed for “theologically sound methods of making Christmas communion available" in a delivery system to celebrate the Feast of the Incarnation.
The move also allows for programs that serve at-risk populations, such as tutoring programs, AA or other addiction treatment groups, and food service for those in need. Such programs will continue to use COVID-19 safeguards such as masks and social distancing.
Bishop Audrey Scanlan, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central PA
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In August of 2001 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) estabalished a "Full Communion Partnership" with The Episcopal Church through the adoption of "Called to Common Mission".
Therefore:
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* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Be rooted in Christ!
Dike
Maybe they’ll stay closed. Good way to get rid of apostate churches.
A non-Christian denomination led by lesbians. NO great loss that they aren't meeting.
It’s not like they are teaching the gospel anyway. Take it as a blessing. Maybe some of those lost souls will find their way to a church or to people that proclaim the death, burial, resurrection, and eventual return of the one true King of Kings.
How are they going to sacrifice babies on their altars of Baal if they don’t meet?
Like everything else our churches have failed. We’re going down faster than the Titanic.
What a sickening mff diver
New Age churches are bizarre.
ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz..........
WTF
Good idea. Nobody attends those services anyway.
Well then, no service? No contributions!
She looks like a lesbian but is married to a man, an has adult children with him. Go figure!!
Maybe she’s tying to fit in!!!!
Meanwhile, my former ELCA parish remains closed, and does Zoom “services”. Thank God I’ve been Orthodox for over 11 years!!!
They’re allegedly supposed to open “when there is a vaccine”. I hope that we soon have approved safe and effective vaccines, and that we ALL receive them!!! Then we need to ignore tyrants like Fauci and DITCH masks and social distancing!!!
Lord willing we shall continue to have Trump as our President, and we shall enjoy all the books that will be written about how the 2020 election was almost stolen!! These books will make Watergate look extremely pale by comparison!!!!
Not to worry, I’m sure that many or most parishes have automatic debit systems in place.
“She looks like a lesbian but is married to a man...”
...soy boy, snowflake, yes. “Man”? No.
You mean, Bishop Karen.
When the Second Person of the All-Holy Trinity was born in the flesh through the Holy Theotokos He was not an sterile surgical suite but in stable with all the flith and offal associated therein!
In other words, He did not seek “safety”! Far from it!
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