To All Church of England Clergy 17 March 2020
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
We wanted to write to you today to offer you advice and encouragement
at this very difficult time for the whole of our country. Please find
attached to this letter some careful guidance. We write this letter having
consulted with the bishops across the Church of England and are
grateful to them for their wisdom and help.
Thank you for all that you do and will continue to do as disciples of
Jesus Christ and ministers of the Gospel. We recognise what a very
unusual and painful time this is for everyone and we want to stress that
we are praying for you all and are very grateful for all that you are doing.
It has always been the historic vocation of the Church of England to be
the church for everyone. William Temple, one of the great Archbishops
of Canterbury and York of the last century, is often quoted as saying that
we are the one organisation which exists for the benefit of its ‘nonmembers’. As the challenge of the coronavirus grips the world, and as
the Government asks every individual and every organisation to rethink
its life, we are now asking the Church of England in all its parishes,
chaplaincies and ministries to serve all people in a new way. Public
worship will have to stop for a season. Our usual pattern of Sunday
services and other mid-week gatherings must be put on hold. But this
does not mean that the Church of England has shut up shop. Far from it.
We need to look at new ways of serving everyone:
1. Where you can and where it is prudent, we encourage all clergy to
continue their pattern of daily prayer and, if it is your practice and
can be done within the constraints as set out, a daily Eucharist. It
is vital to observe strictly the protocols of hygiene and, where
necessary, self-isolation and social distancing. This will not be
public worship that everyone can attend, but an offering of prayer
and praise for the nation and for the world.
Please do of course keep the church buildings open for private
prayer wherever possible as we know so many do all the time.
2. If churches and worshipping communities have the resources to
live stream then they should do so. This will enable the people of
God and anyone and everyone who looks to God for support and
meaning in this time of crisis to participate in the life of worship at
home. At the same time, both nationally and in our dioceses, we
will produce and provide resources for prayer and worship in the
home. This will be especially important for those who are selfisolating, but also for the benefit of everyone.
3. Many people are going to suffer during these coming months as
the coronavirus reaches its peak. Tragically there will be deaths
and so many will be grieving and fearful. We, the Church of Jesus
Christ, with our sisters and brothers from other Christian churches,
must be in the forefront of providing practical care and support for
the most poor and the most vulnerable, and we offer our services
to all those who are beginning to think through how best to provide
for those in need.
Being a part of the Church of England is going to look very different in
the days ahead. Our life is going to be less characterised by attendance
at church on Sunday, and more characterised by the prayer and service
we offer each day. We may not be able to pray with people in the ways
that we are used to, but we can certainly pray for people. And we can
certainly offer practical care and support. Please do carry on supporting
the local foodbank and buy extra provisions for it. Ensure the night
shelters wherever possible are kept open. There are many very
encouraging schemes happening right across our country in
communities to focus on caring for the most vulnerable, so do continue
to play your part in those.
Then by our service, and by our love, Jesus Christ will be made known,
and the hope of the gospel – a hope that will counter fear and isolation -
will spread across our land.
We have called, along with our fellow church leaders, for a day of prayer
and action this coming Sunday - Mothering Sunday (22nd March).
Mothering Sunday has always been both a day of celebration for many
and a sensitive and emotional day for some. Wherever you are this
Sunday please do join in this day of prayer and action and remember
especially those who are sick or anxious, and all involved in our Health
Service. As one action, we are calling on everyone to place a lighted
candle in their window at 7.00 p.m. as a sign of solidarity and hope in the
light of Christ that can never be extinguished.
This is a defining moment for the Church of England. Are we truly a
church for all, or just the church for ourselves? We urge you sisters and
brothers to become a different sort of church in these coming months:
hopeful and rooted in the offering of prayer and praise and overflowing in
service to the world.
Please, therefore, join us in this great challenge; and pray for our
Government and nation, for each other, and especially for those who
work in our health and emergency services.
With every blessing,
+Justin Cantuar +Sentamu Eboracensis