March 23, 2020

Dear Friends in the Presbytery of Boston,

We are holding you in prayer during this strange time in our lives. To those of you who are staying home and practicing social distancing, thank you for your commitment to protecting your neighbors. For those of you who work in essential services and must continue working, thank you for your hard work and dedication to our communities. 

As some of you know, this morning Governor Baker issued an order prohibiting gatherings of more than ten people and the closure of the physical locations of businesses that provide non-essential services. As this pertains to our activities, his order specifically included faith-based organizations, weddings, funerals, and “any similar event or activity that brings together more than 10 persons in any confined indoor or outdoor space.” This order remains in effect from noon March 23, 2020 (today) until April 7, 2020 unless further extended. Per this order, sessions should be suspending in-person activities such as worship and meetings if they have not already done so. The specific wording pertinent to faith-based communities is copied below the signature line of this letter.

The first challenge that this raises for many of us is pastoral. How will we provide pastoral care for those who depend on our church for community? There are no easy answers here. We have weekly zoom calls with pastoral leaders to share best practices and encourage one another. If you’re a minister looking for ideas, sit in on one of these online gatherings. If you’re doing something that is working well in your context, we want to know about it. We need to share best practices because this is new territory for all of us. This may be a time to mobilize your deacons, organize online gatherings, post devotionals online, or seek other creative ways to continue to fulfill our mission to be communities that support one another. 

The second challenge for many will be financial. Many of us have already started to hold online worship services. But because we cannot pass the offering plate, most of our congregations will see a significant drop in income. Another challenge is that some of our members will lose their jobs as a result of the restrictions mandated during this time, and will therefore be unable to give. We cannot mitigate all of the ways that this crisis will impact congregations. But we can take some steps to minimize the financial impact. 

We are gathering resources related to responding to this time of crisis which will be posted on our website under the Resources tab in the next day or so, including resources related to online financial giving. There are several options, including through the Presbyterian Foundation.

This is new territory for all of us and we will need to work together to find creative ways to continue our important mission of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed. We will continue to be in touch throughout this time and are available by phone or email. As always, you are all in our prayers. Please pray for us as we seek to provide the best support possible to congregations during this challenging time.

In Christ, 

Rev. Cindy Kohlmann, Resource Presbyter        
presbyter@presbyteryofboston.org
(978) 766-9330

Rev. T. J. DeMarco, Stated Clerk
statedclerk@presbyteryofboston.org
(401) 523-7417