Dear Colleagues,

Yesterday I participated in a teleconference with Premier John Horgan, Health Minister Adrian Dix and Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Officer of Health. They are appreciative of the continuing role faith communities have in keeping our social fabric healthy. We have an important role to play in caring for those in our faith communities and in our neighbourhoods. The Premier was particularly emphatic about how important our role is in the current health crisis. The specific request made of us as religious leaders was that we help our congregations model healthy practice in these anxious times. The best source of information for all of us about COVI-19 and how to respond to it is on the government website BCCDC.ca. It contains everything we need to know about the virus, how it spreads and what we can do to make ourselves safe.

Dr Bonnie Henry made some specific requests which we are to implement. The common cup is to be withdrawn from public worship until further notice; the distribution of bread at communion must be done with great care so that hands don’t touch and anyone distributing bread must frequently sanitize their hands; post worship coffee is to be suspended because of the risk of infection; gatherings involving food sharing should be cancelled unless participants have prepared the food they will consume and there cannot be any sharing of food. Some of you have already instituted these practices. Dr Henry emphasized several times that these are temporary measures and after the crisis has subsided we will be able to reinstitute them.

Above all else, I am grateful for your continuing service during this trying time. Bishop Logan has asked me to convey the assurance of his prayers for us and his gratitude for our ministries. Every blessing, Barry