Dear Friends in the Presbyteries of Boston and Northern New England,

As many of you know, Governor Baker has issued guidelines for re-opening houses of worship. Many of us are eager for the day when we could meet together again, even though a return to “normal” worship services and church gatherings won’t be possible for many months to come.

While the governor has submitted guidelines for re-opening, we are compelled to strongly recommend that you refrain from returning to the building for worship. Research has consistently shown that there is far greater risk for infection when people are inside the same space breathing and talking, even if they are wearing masks. The risk of infection is even greater with singing. Additionally, certain ventilation systems, or lack thereof, create greater risk for those gathering in the same space. 

However, our polity does not grant Presbyteries the power to decide if congregations may open or close their buildings, or how and where worship or other gatherings will take place. That power resides with your sessions. If you decide to re-open the building for any reason, up to and including worship, we are asking that you take the following steps before re-opening. 

1. Deep Cleaning: The regulations require that houses of worship complete a deep cleaning after every gathering. In order to be in compliance with this government requirement, you will need to determine what this requirement means for your facility. You will need to determine if it is something that a volunteer can do for an extended period of time. If so, you will need to gather the necessary materials to complete the cleaning. If you decide to hire cleaners, please take the time to get estimates for how much the cleaning will cost and make sure your congregation can afford to pay the cost on a regular, on-going basis.
2. Legal Risk: While the governor has issued guidelines for re-opening, we do not know the legal risk associated with re-opening during a pandemic. We would advise you to consult with an attorney. You should also consult with your insurance company to find out if the costs of litigation are covered if someone attending a gathering in the building then becomes ill, putting all those gathered at risk of infection, and you are sued. 
3. Capacity: The government is limiting attendance to 40% of capacity and also requiring social distancing of at least 6 feet between people not from the same family. You will need to determine how you will limit attendance and how you will make changes in the worshiping and gathering spaces to comply with these orders. These limits would apply to all gathering places such as fellowship halls, sanctuaries, classrooms, and other indoor areas.
4. Face Masks: Sessions will need to consider how they will enforce the rule that everyone who enters the building must wear face masks. Will you have a supply of masks available for anyone who arrives without a mask? What will you do if your largest donor arrives and informs you that he or she will not be wearing a mask? 

We thank you for your faithfulness in serving your congregations as they have been dispersed and deployed as the body of Christ during this time. We want to re-iterate that it is our opinion that it is unwise to open your building at this time. For more information, we encourage both the leadership and any members of the congregation to participate in one of the three webinars being held this week exploring “Returning to the Building: Theological, Ecclesiastical, and Practical Considerations.” Those dates and times can be found below. If you have concerns about how you will continue to operate digitally, we are willing to help you in any way we can, including meeting with sessions and task forces as these issues are discussed. 

In Christ,

Cindy and T. J.