ItÕs really a tough time to be a leader of a Unitarian Universalist congregation, or any congregation for that matter. People are anxious and afraid, and there is not much we can do to take away that fear, because it comes from sources so much bigger than ourselves. People are experiencing an unprecedented level of loss and grief, and there is not much we can do to prevent it.... We just have to ride the waves of emotion with the people we serve.

Now, in the midst of all that, you need to make some decisions about how your congregation might regather in person and what conditions need to be met in order for you to do so. We want you to know that just because some people are frustrated or upset with you, it doesnÕt mean youÕre doing anything wrong. As leaders we are wise to remember that itÕs impossible to make everyone happy all of the time, especially now.Ê

Two of the essential roles that leaders play for congregations are to set policy and enact policy. It is wise to spend some time now creating policies about when and how youÕll approach in-person gathering. A good COVID-19 regathering policy for your congregation will be true to your core values as a community of faith.

* It will apply those core values to practical situations involving the people most at-risk of being harmed or killed by the virus.
* Your good policy will be clear about who makes which decisions about what. And not just who makes the final call: whoÕs consulted in the process.
* Your policy will take into account your role as employers--that you donÕt want to force employees to work in ways that are unsafe or might compromise their health, or that of the people they love.
* Your policy will be a Ògood enoughÓ policy--not perfect. As things change, you may need to revisit it from time to time. But that doesn't make it a bad policy; it simply reminds us that weÕre still learning together.
* And finally, your policy will refer to scientific data to tell you when itÕs safe to regather. ItÕs not our feelings, or our politiciansÕ attitudes that will tell us when we can get together in person again. Our policies should be based on solid, measurable criteria in the areas our congregations serve.

On the UUA website youÕll find Guidance on Gathering When COVID-19 Subsides. Look under UUA.org/safe/pandemics. There we offer questions to reflect on, and some models and rubrics to consider, as you design your policy for regathering in-person.

UUA.org has examples of other congregationsÕ policies for you to consult. One is from our congregation in Duluth, Minnesota. They developed a policy with six tiers, ranging from Òred tier,Ó with no in-person operations at the congregation, to Òviolet tier,Ó where choir and in-person gatherings can resume yet staff can work at home if needed. The different tiers correspond to different levels of community spread of COVID-19.Ê

Another policy linked to from UUA.org is from our congregation in Reston, Virginia, where they chose five safety indicators from their county, and surrounding counties--indicators like infection rate and ICU headroom. These indicators need to be satisfied in order to resume in-person worship at the congregation.Ê Because they have created a policy based on objectively measurable criteria, the decision to resume worship in person becomes a matter of crunching numbers. This helps avoid conflicts about whether we feel safe enoughÉ the criteria will tell the congregation when it is safe enough.

We are called to make difficult decisions that impact many. Even when we are doing the absolute right thing for the whole community, individuals might get anxious and impatient. But you can know at the end of the day, and at the end of this pandemic, that you will have served your congregation and your community well by being faithful to ourÊ
deepest values and our life-giving mission.

For more resources, please visit www.uua.org/safe/pandemics.

We at the UUA wish you and your congregation our best wishes for safety and health.