From St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Richmond Virginia

May 20, 2020

What's next? As businesses and organizations decide when and how they can safely re-open, the leadership of St. Stephen's Church is considering the guidance provided by the Governor of Virginia, our diocesan leaders, and our own unique circumstances. While some "non-essential" businesses in the adjacent counties have re-opened, and some in the City of Richmond (where St. Stephen's is located) hope to re-open next week, St. Stephen's and other churches must act in ways that will safeguard the health and well-being of our members, visitors, staff, clergy, and all who use our buildings. Worship services present particular challenges, from insisting on physical distance that can feel antithetical to the worship experience, to refraining from touching one another or passing things (Communion, offering plates, printed programs, prayer books), to limiting how many people can enter our buildings for worship, and to refrain from singing. So for now--like other Episcopal churches in Virginia and across the country--we will not be re-opening for in-person worship services for some time to come. We wish this were not the case, but we are committed to protecting the health of those who love this church.  In the meantime, we will continue offer weekly worship videos and other virtual ways for us to "gather."