Letters from the Bishop Regarding Mask Mandates

With the support and encouragement of the Synod Council Executive Committee, your synod staff will continue to follow a careful, patient, and intentional approach to travel across the synod. We will suspend our travel and in-person meetings at least through the month of May 2021.

We will continue to be present to leaders and congregations across the synod via teleconferencing, email, and phone. If we determine it to be necessary or urgent, we may travel for an ordination, a funeral, or a call vote, for example. We will only do so if the local community agrees to strict adherence to safe, healthy, lower risk protocols and practices. In such cases of necessity, we will also travel to only one community in any 24-hour period. The synod office will be open Monday through Thursday from 8:30-4:30, with one administrative staff member in the office at a time.

In addition, synod staff will continue to offer weekly recorded sermons and prayers for Sundays. Monthly synod-wide check-ins with the bishop for rostered and other ministers will continue. Dates, times, and Zoom information will be shared with conference deans, who will pass the information on to rostered ministers. Other regular and special meetings, such as Synod Council meetings, will continue via Zoom. Worship, faith formation, and other resources and accompaniment with local faith communities and their leaders will continue as synod ministry moves forward into the new year.