Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Yesterday afternoon, May 13th, the CDC issued revised guidelines for people who have been fully vaccinated, including no longer requiring masks indoors or social distancing.
This is wonderful, long-awaited news! It is also a strong reminder of the important role of vaccinations for the continued normalizing of our lives.
For the next few days, including this Sunday, May 16th, all Diocese of West Texas Guidelines and your congregation’s local protocols remain in effect. This time will give your church’s clergy and lay leaders, as well as diocesan staff, a chance to assess the CDC recommendations for fully vaccinated people carefully for the sake of revising our diocesan and local guidelines and protocols.
The new CDC guidelines do not address our churches’ worship, ministries, and fellowship specifically. In our churches, the vaccinated and unvaccinated are often all together indoors, and those who are not fully vaccinated, as of now, include most children under 16 years old.
Next Tuesday afternoon, May 18th, the Diocese will issue revised Guidelines for Phased Reopening reflective of the welcome news from the CDC. Vestries and Bishop’s Committees should plan to meet this coming week to review and revise local protocols in light of the complete CDC recommendations, which I am attaching below, and the forthcoming Diocesan Guidelines.
By God’s grace, we have traveled so far through this pandemic together. We have arrived at the edge of one more large step, thanks be to God! Please continue to be patient and kind, forbearing with one another, honoring one another and loving one another as Christ loves us.
Faithfully Yours in Christ,
David M. Reed
Bishop of West Texas
