A MESSAGE ABOUT RE-OPENING CME CHURCH BUILDINGS

Dear CME Church family,

Our prayer is that you are weathering the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic, sustained by faith and surrounded by God's love and mercy!

To those who have experienced the virus up close, as a patient or a family member, and to those who have lost loved ones, we offer special prayers. We thank the pastors, chaplains and laity who have extended themselves to do acts of mercy and pastoral care to victims of COVID-19 and their families. We congratulate those pastors and congregations who have used technology as a means of staying connected and offering worship and bible study.

As the states begin to implement re-opening plans and churches have been declared "essential" by the President, it can be confusing to know what to do and when to resume in-person worship services and other church activities. We wish it were such that we could give specific directives about how to do this safely, but the situation changes daily and varies across the United States.

This virus is affecting African-Americans more than others, and many of our members are in the high-risk age group and/or have pre-existing conditions. Therefore, we urge you to exercise caution, utilize wisdom and proceed slowly and deliberately in making decisions about resuming in-person services. And, as you consider how to resume in-person services and other activities, we ask that you do the following:

1) follow the directives of the local and state governments where your church is located;

2) take necessary precautions to safeguard congregations and prepare the sanctuaries in accordance with CDC guidelines and recommendations, such as social distancing seating, sanitizing, hand washing, and wearing masks;

3) follow any guidelines, expectations or requirements of your Presiding Bishop; and

4) communicate with your Presiding Elder/Presiding Bishop about your plans to resume services and immediately report any problems or challenges encountered.

The most important things to remember are that this virus is highly contagious, spreads easily in group gatherings, and that there is no proven treatment, no cure, no vaccine.

As the church, we must be guided by the Biblical mandate to love our neighbors and do everything we can to keep from spreading this virus throughout our communities.

Note: Here is a link to a useful manual for churches as they prepare to re-open the building. https://www.wheaton.edu/media/humanitarian-disaster-institute/Preparing-Your-Church-for-Coronavirus.pdf

On behalf of the CME College of Bishops,

Senior Bishop Lawrence Reddick

Bishop Thomas L. Brown, Sr. Chair

Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton, Secretary

Make “Opening Up” a Loving and Caring Decision

Dear CME Family,

It is not President Trump’s job to tell God’s churches when or how or why to worship. That is not any President’s or secular leader’s job. We agree with President Trump that worship is essential, and we urge him and all who lead us in the secular domain and in God’s churches to practice and model good worship. But we are also admonished by the Scriptures to be careful to not do the things that may harm our brothers and sisters.

Sheltering in place (if we can) while this virus is not decreasing is an act of love. Wearing a mask when we must go out is an act of love. The pride of being able to worship within our church buildings pales if, in that pride, people can be endangered and die. Google the Holy Ghost Catholic Church of Houston, Texas, or the name of Rev. Mark Palenske. People became infected and some died who worshipped with them. The Houston case is a few days ago; the case of Reverend Palenske, in Arkansas, was mid-March.

On this Ascension Sunday (the day we lift up in celebrating the victory of Christ’s resurrection completed by His ascension into heaven), I am reminded that Jesus – and Jesus alone – is Lord of God’s Church. So while we offer our national leader the respect of his office, he does not dictate when or where or how God’s churches should worship. We whom God has chosen to lead God’s people must act responsibly on behalf of God’s people.

Unfortunately, I believe we are evidencing in the United States the overwhelming influence of political and economic winds that dare to put the economy and the election and the pride of big church gatherings above the faithfulness in love, devotion, witness and service that God seeks from us.

Love was the first word of the four mentioned in the last sentence. I am reminded of the news clip that showed what seemed a self-filmed video of a bus driver who talked about how people would get on his bus and, in their talking, spit in his face, seemingly oblivious or uncaring that they had done so. Days after that video, he died of COVID-19.

Ruth Padilla DeBorst, a Latin American-born theologian who attended a weekly sharing in April gave us this prayer before we closed that day:

May we who are merely inconvenienced

remember those whose lives are at stake.

May we who have no risk factors

remember those most vulnerable.

May we who have the luxury of working from home

remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.

May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close

remember those who have no options.

May we who have to cancel our trips

remember those who have no safe place to go.

May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market

remember those who have no margin at all.

May we who settle in for a quarantine at home

remember those who have no home.

As fear grips our world, let us choose love.

During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other,

let us find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors.

Love considers the weaker ones among us before blasting ahead. Amid the bravado of those who defiantly refuse to mask themselves and cover their own spit – though we have been warned, again and again that wearing the mask protects others – Christians are called to choose to do the loving action rather than broadly demand our “rights.” True love is not measured simply by what you feel; true love is evidenced by what we choose to do (and not do).

Let us also choose to be faithful devotees and witnesses.

My usual Sunday ritual for many years has been to travel. Sunday is the day I visit the various churches of the episcopal district to which I’m assigned. I travel and I visit in worship somewhere, preferably a place I have not been before. It helps me get to know the people to whom I am assigned. But during this “sheltering in,” I’ve traveled by internet to places within and beyond the episcopal district I serve (and beyond the CME Church). I’ve witnessed a broad display of faithful believers in worship, and I’ve witnessed the ingenuity of people who have discovered new ways and extended methods and expressions of worship. The creativity has been astounding and overwhelming in beauty and in blessings.

As I sat to write this, my spirit was hearing Isaiah 30:15 –

“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:

‘In repentance and rest is your salvation,

In quietness and trust is your strength,

But you would have none of it.’”

This Scripture should not be heard in isolation. It was Isaiah’s prophetic warning to those people in Judah who thought their only hope was to run to Egypt for a military alliance against the impending, invading foes. God was reminding them to seek God’s face, to repent and to trust God, and God alone.

Yes, the economy has suffered and will still suffer greatly. Yes, we miss our embraces and our “in one place” expressions of fellowship. Yes, this is a difficult time. But let us remember those who suffer or are at risk the most in this period and let us keep engaging in ways to keep them uplifted in our prayers and in the sharing of our financial gifts and deeds of service.

But if you, like I, are in an area where the Coronavirus numbers are still high or going up, do not “open up” as if we have overcome because that gives no consideration to the suffering communities in our midst; do not “open up” without any consideration of how you will sanitize your worship space, what sanitary aids will be available, whether you will require everyone to wear a mask, or how you will worship without the singing we love that we now discover “inhabits” the air around us longer than our talk (thus making it potentially more dangerous than speaking).

As for me and our house, though I love the Sunday travel, we will continue to travel by internet. We will worship. We will witness. We will give. We will serve. And I believe God will be pleased with us. And after all, God is the Judge who counts.

Senior Bishop Lawrence Reddick

Join Us At The 8th Unity Summit & 150th Anniversary of the CME Church Celebration

General Connectional Board Meeting

August 31-September 4, 2020  - Sheraton Dallas, Dallas, TX

Dear CME Members and Friends,

Senior Bishop and Mrs. Lawrence Reddick and the Eighth Episcopal District will host the Eighth Annual CME Unity Summit and the 150th Anniversary of the CME Church Celebration along with the General Connectional Board Meeting, scheduled August 31-September 4, 2020 at the Sheraton Dallas located at 400 Olive Street in Dallas, TX. The theme for this year's Unity Summit is, "Christian Methodism Beyond One-Hundred Fifty Years: Trending Forward Propelled by the Great Commission."

The Unity Summit is scheduled for Monday, August 31, 2020 through Wednesday, September 2, 2020. The General Connectional Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 3, 2020 through Friday, September 4, 2020. 

This message will provide you with general information about registration and hotel reservations at the Sheraton Dallas.  Additionally, information is provided about the Commemorative Souvenir Journal that is being prepared in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church during the Eighth CME Unity Summit.

Plan now to attend the Eighth Annual CME Unity Summit and 150th Anniversary Celebration, and to engage in powerful training and vibrant worship sessions!

Online and Mail-In Registration

The registration fee for the Unity Summit is $175. Members of the General Connectional Board are expected to register.  

You may register online at https://thecmechurch.org/unity-summit/ and thereafter reserve your hotel room. A receipt and hotel confirmation notice will be e-mailed to you.

You may download a registration form and mail it in with your registration fee. Download a registration form here at the official CME Web site.  After your mailed in registration form is processed, you will receive a receipt and hotel reservation form.

Please check your Junk or Spam mailbox if you do not receive a registration confirmation notice by e-mail. To request a receipt and hotel confirmation notice, e-mail unitysummit@thecmechurch.org. 

Sheraton Dallas

The group room rate at the Sheraton Dallas is $129 plus 15.26% tax ($148.69) per night. The deadline date to reserve a hotel room is August 10, 2020. Please plan to register and reserve your room early!

Commemorative Souvenir Journal

A Commemorative Souvenir Journal is being prepared in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church during the Eighth CME Unity Summit.

We invite individuals, local churches and ministries to submit an ad to appear in the Commemorative Historical Journal.

For this Commemorative Journal, we prefer your ad (s) to specifically be about how individual(s) within the CME Church have impacted you as a member, leader, etc. Your ad may promote your business, ministry, share a tribute or honor the memory of a loved one.

Sponsors will receive a complimentary Program and Souvenir Journal and their ads featured in digital formats throughout and after the event.

The deadline date to submit an ad is June 1, 2020.

Journal Ads: Color Journal Page size: 8 ½ “ x 11”

Outside Back Cover: $1500Inside Front Cover: $1,000Inside Back Cover: $1,000Gold Page: $500Platinum (Silver) Page: $400Bronze (Regular Page): $200Half (1/2) Page: $150CME Patron List: $50 (Your name or company appears here on one line)

You can pay online and submit your ad at: https://thecmechurch.org/unity-summit/

If submitting payment by check, please email the ad to: unitysummit@thecmechurch.org .

Checks are to made payable to CME Unity Summit and mailed to:

CME Unity Summit

PO Box 65407

University Place, WA 98464

Additional information about the Eighth Annual CME Unity Summit and General Connectional Board will be forthcoming and posted to the official CME Web site, the CME Facebook page, Twitter (#CMECHURCH), CMEChurch App, and e-mailed to connectional members and friends. Please pray for the success of these events. 

In the Service of the Lord,

The CME Unity Summit Committee

Bishop Sylvester Williams, Sr., Chair 

Bishop Marvin F. Thomas, Sr., Program Chair

Bishop Thomas L. Brown, Sr., Finance Chair

Dr. Pene’ Woods, Executive Director  

Rev. Pansy Washington, Assistant to Bishop Williams

Dr. Theresa Duhart, Registrar

Dr. Carmichael Crutchfield      

Dr. Clifford Harris

Dr. Roderick Lewis                  

Rev. Leon Moore