Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley has shared an update to COVID-19 guidance for our diocese. Read text of the letter below, or view the letter at this link.

January 20, 2022

Dear faithful people of the Diocese of South Carolina,

As we approach the end of our second year living through this COVID-19 pandemic, the overwhelming surge of the highly contagious Omicron variant has caused an alarming rate of transmission in communities throughout South Carolina and the nation. Just as we were beginning to return to something closer to normal toward the end of last year, we now find ourselves returning to the protocols that help slow the spread, including strict masking, social distancing, and re-evaluating the necessity of in-person events. As we continue to live with this reality, I am mindful that we are all weary of restrictions in our daily lives, yet these precautions are a vitally important means by which we love one another.

The protocols I shared with you in December remain in place. Should a congregation choose to worship virtually while the current spike in cases continues, know that you have my full support in making that decision. For congregations that continue to worship in person, I want to emphasize that I have a firm expectation that all of those attending worship and in-person events be vaccinated and masked when indoors. I also strongly encourage you to hold virtual meetings and events in lieu of in-person events whenever possible. I, along with the Standing Committee, remain in regular contact with our medical advisors, keeping the safety and health of all as our first priority. While we hope that we will soon see a leveling and decline of the rate of transmission, we are not there yet. We must remain vigilant and cautious to keep people safe.

For specific information about your county, please see this link. Keep in mind that the CDC initially recommended indoor gatherings only when the positive test rate fell below five percent. Over the past week, the positive test rate for the state has been more than 30 percent.

I remain grateful for your prayers and patience, and especially for your care for others, as God calls us to do. We will get through this pandemic together.

Faithfully yours,

​+Ruth

The Rt. Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley
Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina

As we continue in the season of Advent and near Christmas, the Rt. Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley has written a letter to the diocese providing an update to COVID-19 guidance for congregations. A copy of the letter can be viewed at this link.

The text of the letter is below:

December 10, 2021
 
Dear faithful people of the Diocese of South Carolina,

As we all continue to navigate this season of pandemic, I remain truly grateful for the many ways you have demonstrated care for others as we have remained cautious in the ways we have gathered and worshiped together. While the transmission levels now are much lower than they were this summer, we are still wise to continue to exercise caution, knowing that holiday travel and cold weather might cause a change in current trends.

To this end, I have consulted with the Standing Committee and their COVID Task Force that meets regularly with medical professionals for guidance in this pandemic. I am sharing a list of guidelines that have been suggested as best practices through the end of the year, with the hope that these can be revisited at the start of the new year, after the holiday season.
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• Continue encouraging all parishioners to get vaccinated. Consider providing assistance, such as transportation or access to medical resources, as necessary.
• Continue reminding parishioners and staff to stay home when experiencing any symptoms and seek COVID-19 testing at the onset of symptoms.
• As people become more comfortable with worshipping in person (making social distancing more difficult), consider holding outdoor services or adding services when/where appropriate.
• Continue to wear masks for indoor services and during office hours when others are present.
• Continue making hand sanitizer and face masks readily available for all.
• Continue maintaining social distancing between households of parishioners for indoor services.
• Participants should continue to wear masks covering mouth and nose when congregational or choral music is a part of a service.  This includes practice and preparatory sessions as well.
• Continue or implement online worship for adults and children as well as holding meetings virtually whenever possible.
• Continue encouraging parishioners to pass the peace without physical contact and maintaining social distancing.
• Holy Communion should continue in one kind only, or done in such a way as to minimize the potential for cross contamination.
• If coffee hour/fellowship time is reinstated, if weather permits, it should be held outdoors.
• Nursery, children’s chapel or Sunday school, leadership and families should continue exercising informed prudence and appropriate safety measures.                                         

 
 For specific information about your county, please see this link. Keep in mind that the CDC initially recommended indoor gatherings only when the positive test rate fell below five percent.
 
I remain grateful for your care for others, your prayers and your patience. 
 
Faithfully yours,

The Right Reverend Ruth Woodliff-Stanley
Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina

As cases of COVID-19 continue to increase in South Carolina, the Rev. Cn. Caleb Lee, President of the Standing Committee of The Diocese of South Carolina, has written an update to the diocese. A copy of his letter can be viewed here. 

The text of the letter is below:


January 19, 2021

 
Dear Faithful People of the Diocese of South Carolina,
 
As the number of positive COVID-19 cases continue to climb throughout the state of South Carolina, the Standing Committee wishes to thank each congregation, its clergy, and lay leadership, for the diligence and forbearance exercised throughout this ongoing pandemic and especially during the Advent and Christmas seasons. What we are doing on the congregational level seems to be working, and we simply want to thank you for doing your part. 
 
We encourage everyone in the diocese to get the vaccine as it is available. However, this virus is not letting up even though vaccines are beginning to be rolled out. Therefore, we humbly ask that all remain vigilant in our common task of slowing the spread in the months ahead by continuing the good work already being done. Let us not grow weary or complacent in these winter months but remain steadfast in our discipline regarding safety precautions.
 
Our current guidelines and recommendations remain in effect because they give you, the good people of the diocese, the flexibility to do what is best for your communities. 
 
As a reminder, we also want to share the document we prepared last spring that will help us all reassess and fine tune our approach to in-person worship during this time. Find it at this link.
 
May this new year bring all who are heavy laden with the burden of this pandemic the refreshing yoke of Christ.  
 
On behalf of the Standing Committee I am faithfully yours,
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The Reverend Canon Caleb J. Lee
President of the Standing Committee  

As cases of COVID-19 continue to increase at an alarming rate in South Carolina, the Rev. Cn. Caleb Lee, President of the Standing Committee of The Diocese of South Carolina, has written an update to recommendations previously offered regarding in-person worship and gatherings in our diocese. A copy of his letter can be viewed here. 

The text of the letter is below:


​July 16, 2020

 
Dear Faithful People of the Diocese of South Carolina,
 
As cases continue to spike across the state of South Carolina, the Standing Committee would like to thank the people and congregations of the diocese for the crucial role you, as the Church, have been playing in our communities during this time of pandemic. Our actions, everything from how we are deciding to conduct worship to the faithful practicing of new norms like social distancing and the wearing of masks, are a sign to a suffering world that we love God and our neighbor.

On May 28th, the Standing Committee offered the following recommendations:

1. Continue online services as the primary means of worship.
2. If after developing a plan and assessing the current state of the virus in their region, congregations have discerned that they are adequately prepared to safely regather for in-person worship (either outdoors or indoors), they are to proceed with great caution and care in doing so.
3. Wherever possible, it is recommended that meetings, services, and other in-person gatherings are held outdoors, while still adhering to proper social distancing protocols (including the wearing of masks).

​These remain our recommendations. However, in light of the current statistics in the state of South Carolina, the Standing Committee strongly urges that we, the people and congregations of our diocese, take time to regroup and reassess based on the state of the virus in our respective regions. The process of regrouping and reassessing may be the catalyst for the creation of a different opportunity for worship, adoption of new practices to promote an even safer worship environment, or a decision to take a step back and continue with only online services for a time. We fully support you in making the decision that is right for your congregation.
 
Our diocese—our people and congregations—will continually strive to follow the advice of public health experts and best practices in planning the activities and worship of our diocese.

We remain inspired by the creativity and ingenuity of the congregations of this diocese during these journey days. We pray that this will continue in the weeks and months ahead, with best practices in mind.

We all share the high calling of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to a world in desperate need. Right now this is particularly challenging. The Church must not grow weary of communicating and embodying the hope that is within us. However challenging our circumstances may be, we are called to be steadfast harbingers of that hope, and for that hope to continue to be reflected in our actions.

Pray with the Church: That we may not grow weary of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, that we may continue to serve as a beacon of hope to a suffering world, and that we may continue to reflect that hope in our actions.

On behalf of the Standing Committee, I am faithfully yours,  

The Reverend Canon Caleb J. Lee
President of the Standing Committee 

The Standing Committee continues to discern how best to serve and protect the faithful people and congregations of the diocese during this period of great uncertainty.  At this time, the Standing Committee recommends continuing the suspension of in-person worship services through June 1.  

In the meantime, the Standing Committee has suggested that the next two weeks are used as a period of intentional planning within congregations in preparation for when a return to in-person worship is possible. This document of Best Practices for Planning a Return to In-Person Worship (click to view and download the file) should assist Rectors and Priests-in Charge in planning. The Deans of our diocesan deaneries stand ready to assist and will offer opportunities for discussion.
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During the period between May 18 and May 31, small groups of 10 or fewer people may consider gathering (maintaining social distance) for planning purposes. More information will be shared as it is made available from from our government and public health officials.

​On Friday, March 13, the Standing Committee, along with Archdeacon Calhoun Walpole and Bishop Henry Parsley, met with Dr. Robert Ball (a parishioner at St. Stephen’s, Charleston, and Professor of Infectious Disease at the Medical University of South Carolina) for a conversation regarding next steps for our Diocese during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The following guidelines pertain to services tomorrow. We are in a rapidly unfolding situation and will be back in touch regarding plans moving forward. As of today, Saturday, March 14, South Carolina state officials have not recommended or mandated that public events be canceled, but the CDC has encouraged the more vulnerable populations to avoid large crowds. Based on this recommendation, all services in the Diocese of South Carolina may take place tomorrow as announced. Clergy serving congregations are also at liberty to decide to suspend services if they deem it appropriate in their own local context. 

For churches holding services, please follow these guidelines:

• Hand sanitizers should be available at all entrances.
• Bulletins should be used only once and then disposed of by the user into recycling receptacles.
• The Exchange of the Peace should be with a simple bow.
• The distribution of the Cup will be suspended during Holy Communion.
• When receiving the Host, the priest will drop the wafer into one’s hand, so please keep your palms flat to receive our Lord’s Body.
• The gifts of bread and wine are to be placed on the credence table before the service and not at the back of the church. We will suspend the service of oblation bearers for now.
• The Eucharistic ministers should sanitize their hands prior to and after distributing Communion.
• Altar guilds should be extra vigilant that all vessels are properly cleaned after each use.
• During the Offertory, the alms basins should be placed in visible, stationary locations rather than passed around.
• Holy Water should be removed from baptismal fonts. 
• Practice social distancing by maintaining a distance of at least three feet from one another when possible.

Additionally, the CDC recommends the following actions to protect yourself and others from transmitting the COVID-19 coronavirus: 

1. Stay home if you are sick.
2. Wash your hands often with soap and water.
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
4. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
5. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
6. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue then throw the tissue away. If tissues are not available, cough or sneeze into your sleeve.

​A page has been added to the diocesan website dedicated to our response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Find it at this link: episcopalchurchsc.org/covid19. All communications from diocesan leadership will be available on this webpage, as well as resources and information that may be helpful to churches throughout our diocese during this time.

Today, the Diocese of South Carolina launched a new webpage to house resources and information related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on our diocese. Find it at on our News tab, or at this link: episcopalchurchsc.org/covid19.html.

If any churches in our Diocese have any information to add to this website, please email Diocesan Director of Communications Molly Hamilton at [email protected].