York Region united churches ‘willing to postpone’ reopening to curb spread of COVID-19

The message came days after more than 250 churches from across Ontario requested the province allow churches restart public services by early June.

Yorkregion.com
June 1, 2020
Sheila Wang

Local united churches reaffirmed its commitment to staying closed in order to ensure the safety of the members and help fight the spread of the novel coronavirus.

David Leyton-Brown, president of Shining Waters Region Council wrote to Premier Doug Ford on May 21 that the united churches will follow the directives of local heaalth authorities and reopen the buildings only when it is deemed safe to do so.

Shining Waters, one of 16 regional councils of The United Church of Canada, is the administrative grouping of communities of faith from Georgian Bay to Lake Ontario, including York Region.

The message came days after more than 250 churches from across Ontario requested in a letter dated May 11 that the province allow churches restart public services by early June.

“Please be assured that this letter does not speak to the position of The United Church of Canada,” Leyton-Brown wrote. “While we deeply miss the opportunity for in-person gathering and lament the loss of physical closeness, we’re willing to postpone coming together in flesh and bone until local health authorities indicate it is safe for our congregants to assemble once more.”

He noted many of the members are over 70, immunocompromised and in other ways at high risk for complications from COVID-19.

There are 2,384 confirmed COVID-19 cases in York Region, as of May 29, and one-third of them are 65 and over.

More than 20 united churches across the region have been closed for months since the onset of the pandemic and have turned to alternative ways to stay connected with members, from livestreaming Sunday services to offering phone calls for spiritual support.

They are among about 200 communities of faith under Shining Waters.

“In our understanding, the church is not a building, nor is it housed within a building. The church is a community of followers seeking to model their lives after Jesus, whose love for neighbour superseded all tradition and expectation,” Leyton-Brown.