Gov. Ned Lamont told congregations to go ahead and start holding in-person worship services.
Seventy-nine area ministers said: Not so fast.
The ministers, primarily representing black churches, signed a letter released Wednesday vowing not to hold-in-person worship services until more testing is available for Covid-19, the curve “not only flattens” but steadily drops, and the Centers for Disease Control deem it safe for people over 60 to show up.
The text of the letter follows. The Rev. Samuel Ross-Lee of Immanuel Baptist contacted the Independent to report that his church, too, is taking this position.
To the Beloved in Connecticut,
As Connecticut begins it’s phased re-opening, we commit ourselves and we urge other houses of worship to not re-open and to remain closed for in-person gatherings.
While we are all eager to return to worship, we recognize our great spiritual and social responsibility to our faith communities, and to the communities in which we reside, to protect and to promote the holistic wellbeing of all. To that end, we, the undersigned, commit to not re-opening for in-person gatherings until:
• Widespread testing is available and accessible for all, regardless of one’s ability to pay,
• The curve has not only flattened, but shown a substantial and sustained decrease, especially around periods of phased re-openings, and,
• The CDC indicates that it is safe for persons over the age of 60 and/or immunocom- promised persons to resume social activities.
The reality is, the doors of our houses of worship have never actually closed. While the in-person aspects of our religious communities have changed, many aspects have only transitioned to other avenues. Our doors have remained open for worship with the emergence of virtual and telephonic modes of gathering. Our doors have remained open to support the suffering, the grieving, and the lonely through telephone calls, video calls, and drive-by parades.
Our doors have remained open to meet the needs of our community with drive-thru food and/or mask distributions. Our doors have remained open to still conduct our administrative and business functions through video- conferencing.
We have found that social distancing does not have to mean spiritual distancing as our doors have remained open to still welcome all to pray, to give and to receive support, and to participate in meaningful community that still transcends all barriers, even if done virtually.
Being a house of worship as we know it has changed and will continue to change as this pandemic continues to unfold. We recommend that we use this unique time to be still and to think creatively about what will be required for us to be true and effective houses of worship, not only during this time, but for the future. We recognize that choosing not to hold in-person gatherings for a house of worship is a very difficult decision to make with a myriad of potentially adverse outcomes, but making the decision to remain closed to protect the lives and the wellbeing of the people and the communities we serve should provide us a level of peace at the present time.
As we all continue to navigate these uncertain times, may we rest in the certainty that the God we serve is still with and among us.
In hope,
Clergy Names Listed in Alphabetical Order by Last Name
Rev. Philippe E. C. Andal
Senior Pastor, Community Baptist Church (New Haven, CT)
Rev. Dr. Anthony L. Bennett
Senior Pastor, Mt. Aery Baptist Church (Bridgeport, CT)
Pastor Kevin Hardy
Pastor, St. Matthews UFWB Church (New Haven, CT)
Pastor Horace Hough
Pastor, First Baptist Church (Milford, CT)
Rev. Dr. Boise Kimber
President, New Haven Clergy Association
Senior Pastor, First Calvary Baptist Church (New Haven, CT)
Pastor William Mathis
Senior Pastor, Springs of Life-Giving Water Church (New Haven, CT)
The Rev. Dr. Kathleen E. Mills
Pastor, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (Trumbull, CT)
Rabbi Danny Moss
Associate Rabbi, Temple Israel (Westport, CT)
Rev. Dr. Frederick Streets
Senior Pastor, Dixwell Avenue Congregational United Church of Christ (New Haven, CT)
The Greater New Haven Clergy Association
Rev. Bernard Adams
West End Tabernacle C.M.E. Church
Bridgeport, CT 06605
Rev. Hilda Alston
House of God Church New Haven, CT 06511
Rev. Mary Anderson
The City of Refuge Ministry New Haven, CT 06511
Rev. Francis Asante
Faith House Church
Bridgeport, CT 06605
Rev. Jerald Barber
Church of God & Saints of Christ New Haven, CT 06511
Rev. Brenda Barnes
Faith Gospel Assembly Ministries
Bridgeport, CT 06607
Rev. Evelyn Bass
Russell Temple Church Bridgeport, CT 06607
Rev. Frederick Belcher Presiding Elder, New York/NE
New York/NE
Rev. Cynthia D. Bellamy
Faith Outreach Apostolic Church
Bridgeport, CT 06610
Rev. Steven Benjamin
Power of Prayer Outreach Ministries Hamden, CT 06514
Rev. Aaron M. Best, Sr.
St. Matthew Baptist Church Bridgeport, CT 06604
Apostle Moses Bethune
New Destiny Tabernacle Church Hamden, CT 06514
Rev. Danny Bland Overseer Northeast District
Mt. Calvary Revival Center New Haven, CT 06519
Rev. Ulish Booker, Jr.
Destiny Family Life Center West Haven, CT 06516
Bishop Hester D. Bordeaux
Macedonia Church of God In Christ New Haven, CT 06511
Bishop Charles H. Brewer, III
Trinity Temple C.O.G.I.C. New Haven, CT 06511
Rev. Hugh Brooks
New Moriah Baptist Church Hartford, CT 06102
Bishop David R. Burgess, Sr
Mount Moriah Tabernacle of Praise Hamden, C 06514
Rev. D’Hati Burgess
First Church of God New Haven, CT 06515
Rev. Dr. Belinda Roberts-Burnett
People With A Purpose Ministries (PWAP) Hamden, CT 06517
Bishop Eddie L. Cherry, Sr.
Diocese Bishop-District III, PA/NY/ NJ/NE
Greater Mt. Carmel Pentecostal Church Hamden, CT 06517
Overseer Willie Mae Clayton
Christian Love Center New Haven, CT 06511
Pastor John Cotten, Jr.
New Hope Baptist Church New Haven, CT 06511 – 1139
Rev. Steven Cousin
Bethel A.M.E. Church New Haven, CT 06511
Rev. Dr. Lindsay E. Curtis President of the Connecticut State Missionary Baptist Convention
Grace Baptist Church Norwalk, CT 06854
Rev. Darlene Daniley
Victory Temple Hamden, CT 06517
Bishop John Diamond
Cathedral of Faith
Bridgeport, CT 06605
Bishop James Kelly Edge, II
Breaking Chains Ministries Hamden, CT 06514
Rev. Dr. Donarell Elder
Way of The Cross-Bible Way Church New Haven, CT 06511
Rev. Henry G. Floyd
New Jerusalem Baptist Church Norwalk, CT 06854
Rev. Dr. Joseph G. Ford
Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church
Stamford, CT 06901
Bishop Franklin Fountain
Youth Cathedral (FOYC Ministry Annex) Bridgeport, CT 06604
Rev. Herron Gaston
Summerfield United Methodist Church Bridgeport, CT 06610
Rev. Carlton Giles
Zion First Baptist Church Middletown, CT 06457
Rev. Warren Godbolt
Enterchange Ministries, Inc.
Bridgeport, CT 06610
Rev. Maria Gore
New Bethlehem UFBC New Haven, CT 06519
Rev. Esau A. Greene
New Antioch Church New Haven, CT 06511
Bishop Richardo Griffith
Word of Life Ministries
Bridgeport, CT 06610
Deacon William Johnson
Faith Baptist Church West Haven, CT 06516
Rev. Brian Hampton
St. James Missionary Baptist Church Norwalk, CT 06851
Rev. Gerald Hampton, Sr.
Covenant Fellowship Worship Center Hamden, CT 06517
Bread of Life Ministries
Stamford, CT 06902
Rev. Dr. Kennedy Hampton, Sr. Home of MLK Love March
Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church New Haven, CT 06511
Rev. Chris Hempowicz
Family Church of Connecticut Bridgeport, CT 06604
Rev. Derrick Holloway
First Calvary Church Hartford Hartford, CT 06105
Rev. Errol Johnson
C.H.U.R.C.H
Bridgeport, CT 06607
Rev. Alfred Jones, III
West End CME Church
Bridgeport, CT 06605
Rev. Dr. Peggy Joyner
Gods Miracles Unlimited Outreach Min- istries
Hamden, CT 06514
Rev. Dr. Boise Kimber
President, Greater New Haven Clergy Association
First Calvary Baptist Church New Haven, CT 06511
Rev. Robert Kinney
Mt. Hope Temple
New Haven, CT 06511
Bishop Lonnell Lawson, Sr.
Powerhouse Temple of Deliverance New Haven, CT 06511
Rev. John Lewis
Christ Chapel New Testament Church New Haven, CT 06511
Rev. Cicley Little
New Freedom Missionary Baptist Church New Haven, CT 06511
Rev. Scott Marks
New Growth Praise Center New Haven, CT 06511
Bishop William Marshall
City of Life Worship Center
Bridgeport, CT 06607
Rev. Darrell L. McClam / Rev. Darnell A. McClam
Union Disciple FWB Church Hamden, CT 06514
Rev. Dr. Yvonne McCoy
Breaking Chins Outreach Ministry Church
Hamden, CT 0658
Rev. William McCullough
Russell Temple CME Church Bridgeport, CT 06607
Rev. David Miller
New Hope Missionary Baptist Bridgeport, CT 06604
Rev. Dr. Willis Miller
Rock Tabernacles Ministries New Haven, CT 06511
Bishop Willa Moody
Agape Christian Love Center New Haven, CT 06511
Rev. Willie Moye, Sr.
Holy Tabernacle COGIC
Bridgeport, CT 06604
Rev. James Newman
Mount Zion Baptist Church Norwalk, CT 06854
Rev. Carolyn O’hene
Faith Temple Revival Center Hamden, CT 06514
Rev. Dr. David Penn
Third Baptist Church Suffield, CT 06078
Rev. Dr. Robert W. Perry
Union Baptist Church Stamford, CT 06903
Overseer Bettie Phillips
Rehoboth Temple Hamden, CT 06514
Rev. Maurice S. Porter
Impact Church Hartford, CT 06114
Rev. Jeff Powell
New Antioch Baptist Church Hartford, CT 06120
Rev. Mary Ransome
Greater Mt. Carmel Pentecostal Church Hamden, CT 06517
Rev. Antwaun Richardson
Zion Baptist Church Waterbury, CT 06704
Rev. Corey Salisbury
Impact Church
New Haven, CT 06511
Bishop Dozier Shields
Joy Temple Church New Haven, CT 06519
Rev. Charles Simmons
Temple of Latter Rain New Haven, CT
Bishop Erell N. Skyers
Shiloh Baptist Church Bridgeport, CT 06604
Rev. Alfred Lee Smith, Jr.
Macedonia Baptist Church Ansonia, CT 06401
Rev. Marcia Smith
Holy Ghost Deliverance Hamden, CT 06517
Overseer Ophelia Smith
St. Andrews Tabernacle of Praise Ansonia, CT 06401
Rev. Robert Smith
Mount Calvary Deliverance Church Hamden, CT 06514
Rev. Dr. C.L. Stallworth
East End Tabernacle Baptist Church Bridgeport, CT 06607
Apostle Eunice Tucker
Christian Union Full Gospel West Haven, CT 06516
Bishop Mary Walton
Holy Nation Tabernacle SOP New Haven, CT 06511
Rev. Roger Wilkins
Maranatha Life Changing Ministries C.O.G.I.C.
New Haven, CT 06511
Rev. Jackie Williams
Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church New Haven, CT 06511
Rev. Walter Williams
Walk of Faith Church New Haven, CT 06513
Apostle Lucille Winston
Safely Placed Ministries, Inc. New Haven, CT 06511
Rev Willie J. Young
Mount Hebron Baptist Church Meriden, CT 06450
God has spoken. Let the church say amen. This is a lesson for the preachers in other states who insist on violating physical distancing in God's name with tragic results. This was an example of righteous unity.