As of Pentecost Sunday, May 23, I am leaving all decisions about COVID restrictions to our congregations and their clergy and lay leaders. I urge all those eligible to be vaccinated, to do so...
Dear Friends in the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma,
Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, we have followed public health guidelines in our efforts to love our neighbors and keep them safe, while gathering as we were able.
We were already planning to scale down our diocesan COVID protocols on May 23 and further on July 17 in response to the widespread vaccinations, and plummeting infections, hospitalizations, and deaths in Oklahoma, while giving our congregations flexibility to continue any safety measures they feel are best for their own local context. With the new CDC guidance released on May 13, I feel able to give additional flexibility, knowing that in some of our congregations, everyone is now fully vaccinated.
Therefore, as of Pentecost Sunday, May 23, I am leaving all decisions about COVID restrictions to our congregations and their clergy and lay leaders. I urge all those eligible to be vaccinated, to do so.
Updated summer camp guidelines for Saint Crispin’s are forthcoming, and congregations will want to consider how best to protect children and youth, though the instances of severe COVID especially in younger children are rare.
This pandemic is not yet over, but it is much diminished. It is time to rebuild our congregations in Oklahoma, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s get to work.
+Bishop Poulson