May 23, 2020
Dear FPCB members and friends:
Yesterday, Governor Wolf announced that he expects all counties of Pennsylvania to go to the “yellow phase” of the state’s “Process to Reopen Pennsylvania” on Friday, June 5.
The Session has been discussing for some weeks now the various concerns and possibilities about whether, when and how to resume any in-person activities of the church when Northampton County goes “yellow.” We expected that might happen on June 5 when the current stay-at-home order was set to expire, and we have been doing our analysis and discernment with that potential deadline in mind. While the work is not currently complete, it will be before June 5, and the Session will be updating the congregation on its plans accordingly before the change to yellow happens.
In the meantime, there are a few things that are important to state clearly. First, the Session will not be considering any changes to our digital-only ministry configuration before June 5. What the Session is considering is what is the most faithful, wise, and loving way of being Christ’s church when the stay-at-home order expires, whether that will entail any changes from our current configuration of digital-only ministry, and, if so, what those changes would be.
Second, there are many complex questions involved here, and any changes to a policy of digital-only ministry will only come when the Session is satisfied that we can do so without an unacceptable risk to the health and well-being of those in attendance.
In terms of input and resources, the Session is relying on the best guidance of leaders in medical science and public health; on the advice of other leaders and entities in Presbyterian Church (USA) and our partners in faith in other traditions who are struggling with these same issues; and ultimately on the mandates of the gospel of Jesus Christ, especially “the greatest commandment” to love God with our entire being and our neighbor as ourselves.
Finally, I want to point out that First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem is not developing a process for “re-opening” because
we have never closed. In fact, in many ways this church has never been more open, intentional, faithful, and effective in its life and ministry than it has been these past two months of the stay-at-home order.
We have been open in new and powerful ways for worship, for learning, for service, for pastoral care, for fellowship, for every aspect of our Christian discipleship, for the movement and guidance of the Holy Spirit, every single day since this pandemic began. We will continue to be open every day from this day forward, regardless of whether we can begin doing so in person in any way. The only question for us is what will that look like for us in this next phase.
So, please continue to keep our Session, our church, our community, our nation, and our world in your prayers as we continue through this crisis together in faith, trusting in the Spirit to guide us as we do so.
Grace and Peace,
