SUMC Family,
No In-Person Worship on Sunday, June 14, 2020
The decision to postpone Sunday worship was very difficult to make. We so very much wanted to be together again in the same place as a church family lifting our praises to Almighty God. There were several considerations that led us to changing our plan. Having our area designated as a Covid-19 “Hot Spot” was very concerning and led as to look more closely at the latest data. Not only was there an overall increase in the number of people testing positive there was also an alarming increase in the percent of people testing positive compared to the total number of tests given which suggests there is a spreading of the virus. In addition our state health officials have indicated that their concern is at the highest point since the arrival of the virus. Lastly, we have had input from our church family expressing growing concern based on the recent news. After thoroughly discussing these new developments, we decided to put the safety of our congregation first and err on the side of caution. We will continue to monitor the latest information and will provide an update when there is a clear indication that we can safely and confidently return to in person worship. Until that time we will continue to have on line worship services each Sunday.
Knowing that Pastor Scarlett will soon be leaving us has weighed heavily on our decision because our hearts wanted to do one thing but in the end we had to follow what we believed was best for all involved. We realize this decision will be disappointing for many of you as it was for us and ask for your understanding and prayers.
In Christian love,
Bruce Reese on behalf of the Open Doors task force