To God’s beloved people in the NWIM Synod,

In the synod office, we have been asked by many of you to provide guidance around when to suspend in-person worship due to increased cases of SARS-COVID19 cases in a community. While there are some such documents available from other denominational bodies (United Methodist Church, for example) after discussion as a staff we realized that our ability to draft such a document is limited—simply because of the polity of the ELCA. I cannot direct congregations to not meet in person. That is a decision that falls to the rostered leader(s) and council of a congregation. Adding to the complexity: the ministry contexts of our synod are so varied that what might indicate a need to suspend in-person worship in one congregation might not in another.

While we all might wish that the Bishop’s office might be able to issue these sorts of edicts to keep our members safe, the reality is that the Bishop’s office can only implore, exhort, encourage & thank congregations who follow COVID protocols. So I come to you again to do just that.

We are all endlessly weary of this. Those who continue to uphold COVID protocols and those who are not and those who resisted ever following them. When we were asked to “flatten the curve” for two weeks in 2020, none of us envisioned that we would still be dealing with this in 2022 & preparing to enter into our third year of a global pandemic. We have sacrificed a lot to this virus, and have had more taken from us. We hear rumors of some hope that we are getting ahead of the disease, that vaccination counts & boosters have us approaching the point where we will achieve the long-awaited herd immunity, and at the same time continue to hear of new variants preparing to sweep across the globe. We don’t know which way is up, are suspicious of hope & despairing of more days like we’ve been living in.

All of that is to say: I get it. I am right there with you. I also feel frustration with masks, pre-sealed communion, social distancing, no hugs, etc. And when even that amount of worship is suspended with a return to digital worship because of case counts: it is disappointing at least, devastating at the worst. But I implore you to understand that your leaders make these decisions with the best interests of the congregation at heart. Our churches are full of people who are vulnerable to this virus—the elderly, immunocompromised, the very young.

So please continue to offer support to your leaders. Respect that they have an incredibly difficult job in the best of times—and this time is anything but that! Remember that they have been given the enormous responsibility of keeping you as safe as possible—and that responsibility comes from the call of God.As long as congregational leaders (lay & ordained) are acting in the best interests of the congregation as a whole, they will have my full support—if I cannot issue an edict to keep people safe, I can & will support those who do have that ability at a congregational level.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me for conversation.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Bishop Kristen