Bishop Lawrence Cancels Services for Entire Diocese of SC. UPDATED

Again, I hesitate to be critical of churches who decide to cancel services for a time.  And some, such as large churches in highly infected cities, probably should.

For example, Pusey House has with sadness shut down for a time, likely the rest of term at least.  But they have little choice given government directives and given that Oxford, a very international and mobile community, is especially vulnerable to the coronavirus. Please join me in praying for Pusey House and Oxford.

But the decision of Bishop Mark Lawrence to cancel services for at least two Sundays for the entire Anglican Diocese of South Carolina has me scratching my head.   The Carolinas have a low infection rate at this time.  Some of the parishes in the diocese are small and in small towns.  Their risk is low, and people going to those churches likely interact with each other anyway.  

Besides do not the parishes have enough wisdom to decide for themselves?

And people need the church now more than ever even if they do not see that although many do.  Comprehensively cancelling Sunday services gives the false impression that it’s all just optional.  It tells people that they do not really need us all that much.  And at least in some cases, it is a disservice to those who know their need of the comfort and strengthening of corporate Sunday worship.

Yes, I may be a bit harsh there, and I probably just angered some people.  I respect that.  But Bishop Lawrence’s decision seems overreaching at best to me.

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UPDATE:

Bishop Lawrence has posted an open letter about this decision.