COVID-19 Update
Still in lockdown and remote gatherings is not where any of us planned to be with the start of a new year. Unfortunately, the rising cases of COVID, the presence of a new more contagious strain, and the limited supply of vaccine have led the CDC and the Mississippi Department of Health to issue warnings about large gatherings including churches. As you may be aware, the Supreme Court has ruled that these limitations cannot be placed on houses of worship. Government officials can recommend but not mandate that houses of worship close to in-person gatherings. So why have Fondren Presbyterian and so many other churches chosen to remain closed to in-person gatherings and worship services? We, like many churches, have given the available options serious prayer and discernment. Balancing all factors, our church session has determined that it is in the best interest of our members and guests to remain closed and to continue to worship and gather remotely until circumstances change. This was not an easy decision to make.the leaders of the church are as eager to come back together as you are. And we have prepared ourselves to be ready to restart in-person worship and other gatherings as soon as it is deemed safe. In the meantime, please keep in your prayers our frontline workers in healthcare and others whose jobs put them at higher risk for this virus. And pray for our community as a whole and our church community that we may do what is needed to work together to bring this crisis to an end.