A pastoral letter from Bishop James Gonia
Reflections and Recommendations on Holy Communion during COVID-19 Pandemic
March 31, 2020
Beloved in Christ,
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic there has been conversation across our church and in our synod about how congregations and communities of faith would address the practice of Holy Communion when in-person gatherings were no longer safe. We have reached that point. At this time, no one knows how long the recommendation to remain apart will last; my advice to pastors and deacons has been to prepare for the long haul, knowing that we can adjust quickly if the “all clear” sign is given earlier than anticipated…
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SUMMARY OF RMS PRESENTATIONS
- The pathway of postponing Holy Communion until we can meet in person (Pr Ron Roschke)
- The pathway of sharing Holy Communion in some form of online community (Pr Leta Behrens and Pr Michael Stadtmueller)
- The pathway of sharing Holy Communion at small in-person venues (Pr Debra Jimenez)
RESOURCE MATERIALS
- Worship in times of public health concerns (ELCA Worship Staff)
- The Lord’s Supper and Coronavirus (Dr. Tim Wengert)
- Reflections (Dr Thomas Schattauer, Wartburg Seminary)
- Digital Worship and Sacramental Life in a Time of Pandemic (Dr Dirk Lange, LWF)
- Christ is Really Present Virtually: A Proposal for Virtual Communion (Deanna A Thompson, Director of Lutheran Center for Faith, Values, and Community, St Olaf College)
- Pastoral letter for leaders of the Southwestern Washington Synod (Bishop Rich Jaech)
- Ecumenical Perspectives on Communion in a time of pandemic
- United Methodist Western Jurisdiction Bishops Offer Guidance for the Observance of Holy Communion
- Presbyterian Church USA – Advisory Opinion Communion in an Emergency/Pandemic
- Western North Dakota Synod – Holy Communion in a time of COVID-19
- Western North Dakota Synod Clarifications from the Bishop