Editor’s Note: On Tuesday March 17,
Upper New York (UNY) Area Resident
Bishop, Mark J. Webb, sent the following letter to the UNY Conference with
words of comfort during the COVID-19
epidemic. “Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus.” ‐ Philippians
4.6‐7 “Be strong and courageous, do not be
afraid or tremble at them,
for the Lord your God is the one who
goes with you. God will not fail you or
forsake you.” ‐ Deuteronomy 31.6 Dear Friends in Christ, We are in the midst of days unlike
any most of us have experienced before. The reality and on‐going threat of
COVID‐19 has created anxiety in our
lives and requires us to adapt what we
consider normal. We join in prayer for
the thousands of lives affected by this
virus and pray for God’s sustaining
grace for those who are mourning the
death of loved ones. I give thanks to God for your ministry
in the midst of these times and celebrate the creative ways in which you
have already responded, as you continue to provide worship and support to
members of our faith communities and
offer the hope of Jesus Christ to those
in our communities. I am grateful for the leadership of our
District Superintendents and Conference staff who are working hard to
offer information and resources that
allow us to be the Church and even find
new ways to live out our mission. They
are working faithfully with us and on
our behalf. Our Communications team
continues to update resources regarding COVID‐19, which can be found here:
https://bit.ly/UNYCovid19resources.
They have also set up a COVID‐19 response hotline to help churches adjust
to this challenging time though technology and new ideas. If you need any support with technical or creative needs
such as online Bible studies/meetings,
live streaming worship, or online giving
please call (315) 898‐2012 or e‐
mail COVID‐19response@unyumc.org.
Simply share what support you are
seeking and someone will promptly get
back to you. With each new day, the recommendations coming from federal, state, and
local authorities adjust as we seek together to navigate the COVID‐19 pandemic. Yesterday, the Trump administration offered national guidelines for
the next 15 days that encourage the
practice of social distancing. These
guidelines include avoiding gathering in
groups of more than 10 people. This
comes in addition to the CDC recommendation that gatherings of 50 or
more be postponed or cancelled for the
next eight weeks. Why is this important? The latest studies indicate that
people who have contracted COVID‐19
often are contagious for three to five
days before they are symptomatic. While I know it goes against the nature of many to cancel worship and
other activities for any reason, I want to
urge and encourage you to suspend in‐person worship and other church gatherings for at least the remainder of
March, if you have not already done so. The United Methodist Center in Liverpool has closed to the public through
Monday, Apr. 13. During this time most
staff will work remotely, but there
should be little interruption in day‐to‐day services. In addition, following the
most recent CDC guidelines, the United
Methodist Center will not host gatherings of more than 50 individuals for the
next eight weeks. We will begin to re‐view the options before us for the session of Annual Conference scheduled
for late May in the beginning weeks of
April. As we live into this time, we want to
support, encourage, and equip you in
any way we can. Please do not hesitate
to contact your District Superintendent
or any of the Conference staff regarding
questions or assistance we may offer. Whether we gather for worship on‐
line or hold our Bible studies and
meetings on‐line, the call to be the
Church of Jesus Christ continues. Let us
continue to care deeply for one another
and look out for the most vulnerable
among us. Let us continue to engage
our communities by being the hands
and feet of Christ in whatever ways God
leads. It is always in times like these that the
Spirit of God breaks through and accomplishes things we can only dream
and imagine about. It has always been
and will continue to be God’s plan to
use God’s people as a vehicle for this
work. This may be one of the greatest
moments for the Church of Jesus Christ
in a long time! Be open to how God may desire to
use you in the lives of others. What new
opportunities to care for the elderly in
your community may God offer? How
might your congregation assist families
with the unexpected need for child‐care? How might you engage in providing the basic needs of food and other
supplies? What opportunities for prayer
and sharing your faith in Christ with
others may God provide? As we stay open to God’s invitations, I
encourage each of us to be faithful in
the giving of our tithes and offerings,
whether through electronic giving or by
mailing offering envelopes to our
Church. It will ensure your local congregation is able to respond to the needs
as they arise. The people of Upper New
York have always been generous people
who respond to the call of God and I
know that will continue through this time. I am incredibly grateful for each of
you and hold you deeply in prayer.
Again, please let us know if there are
ways in which we can partner with you,
as together during these anxious times we offer the grace, peace, and promise that comes in the good news of
Jesus Christ.
May we trust in a new and deeper
way the words of the Psalmist, found
in Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear,
though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the
heart of the sea . . . The Lord of hosts
is with us; the God of Jacob is our
refuge.” Thanks for being the Church! The
Spirit of God is with us, in us and
moving through us! Blessings, Bishop Mark J. Webb  |
Methodist Thoughts >