COVID-19 HUB

Vaccine Overview and Prospects for Covid-19

The Grace of Perserverance

Sermon FRom Bishop Sumner

Pastoral Letter 

We must be guided by science and data.  We will be cautious, aiming to be behind the descending curve as we were ahead of the ascending one. The virus has no political party, and we aim to make decisions to combat it in a similarly neutral way.  We want to be in sync whenever possible with the authorities and fellow Churches. We have one policy for the diocese. Our real polestar is the tradition of Christian theology and spirituality we have inherited....READ MORE

Communion Protocol 

Pentecost Letter 

These protocols describe the minimum precautions to be undertaken by the clergy in the administration of the Sacraments. Clergy are permitted to be more strict in their observance of disease prevention protocols, and these protocols are not to be construed as a mandate to hold public worship if the clergy deem that to be ill-advised in their local circumstances. In such a case they are encouraged to continue online worship of some sort on behalf of their congregation. READ PROTOCOLS HERE

Children's Ministry Guidance Memo

Guidance Document for Children’s Ministry Programs in the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas during COVID-19. Read More Here.

Theological Essay: Communion in the Midst of Disaster

In one way the pandemic is the ultimate outlier, indicative of nothing broader and higher. It is something which we survive, with as much outreach as we can muster under the circumstances.  But crises do also reveal who we are, because we must respond under pressure. We must also act with an eye to what will come next, while at the same time we make sure that we do not deform or transgress our basic commitments and beliefs. Our attention in this first phase has been practical. READ MORE

Video: We Are All Feeling the Same Things

 

Mission in the Time of Virus

ince the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early March in Texas,  the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas has helped provide meals and groceries for over 60,000 people in the Southern Sector of Dallas. EDOD is partnering with The Greater Dallas Coalition, a network of churches, ministries, schools,  and organizations dedicated to poverty alleviation in the Southern Sector of Dallas. NBC 5 Investigates and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston reported the neighborhoods in South Dallas where people who contract Covid-19 are developing the most serious infections, requiring critical care and ventilators. People living in the Southern Sector of Dallas report the highest prevalence of risk-factors for severe Covid-19 such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, asthma, COPD, kidney disease and obesity.  The data was drawn from US Census and the 500 Cities Project from the CDC. Furthermore, these regions also report the highest unemployment levels and poverty at this time.  

This work is part of PROJECT:US: Unite and Serve, the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas’ Outreach and Reconciliation Initiative, living out Jesus’ call to serve the least of these (Matthew 25) as one body (John 17). This initiative, in its fourth year, implements aspects of the Strategic Plan to foster ecumenical outreach, racial reconciliation, and diocesan unity through common mission especially, serving those in need (focusing on the youth, the hungry, and the poor in the Southern Sector of Dallas). To get involved with this work contact Canon Carrie Headington at

To donate to this work go to www.greaterdallascoalition.net. Or send check to: The Greater Dallas Coalition at  P.O. Box 151221, Dallas, Texas 75215

In the MEMO write: COVID CARE

*The Greater Dallas Coalition is a 501 c 3 organization and all contributions are tax deductible.

Feed the Hungry

Many of our parishes are feeding the hungry through their food pantries and meals programs. Parishes from across the Diocese are serving their hungry neighbors in their communities. We pray for and celebrate the great work of Annunciation Lewisville, Church of the Transfiguration Dallas, Ascension Dallas, Gateway of Grace, Santa Natividad Plano, San Francisco de Asis, St James on the Lake  Kemp, St. James Texarkana, St. Luke's Denison, St. Matthew's Cathedral,  St. Peter's McKinney, and Holy Cross Dallas. To support our parishes and to let us know what your parish is doing to serve those in need  please contact Deacon Mark Hall at .  

Resources to Get Food

Canon Evangelist Resources

Our Canon Evangelist, Carrie Headington, is available to do your Sunday sermon if you need a break. Canon Carrie is working on evangelism resources during COVID-19. She will be offering:

Digital Alpha Course Training which will equip our parishes in how to run Alpha online. The Alpha Course is an introduction to the Christian faith for seekers, skeptics, and non-Christians. It is a space for us to invite our friends to explore matters of faith and to ask questions. The pandemic has caused many to be more open to God and has people asking questions and searching spiritually. The Alpha Course is an excellent and easy way we can engage people who want to explore the meaning of life. (www.alphausa.org) It is easy to run online as the talks are already on video and are accessible and effective.

Engaging the Questions Series. Canon Carrie will be filming a series this summer you can use in your adult education or for seekers. She will cover topics weekly such as How do we know God exists? Who is Jesus? Can we trust the Bible? Why would a good God allow suffering and Covid-19? What is so good about the Christian Faith? And other topics.

Stay tuned for Spreading Good News During Covid-19. Director of Communication Kimberly Durnan and Canon Carrie Headington will be providing resources in how your parish and your laity can share and be good news in their daily lives during COVID- digitally and personally.

Daily Good News. A brief daily truth from the Daily Office

Christian Formation

Canon Hylden has begun working with several partners toward creating a Canterbury Trail course, using short online videos from a number of speakers and including discussion questions and a leader’s guide.  It’s a big project that will take some time, but the hope is to have it available at least in beta version while we are still under some form of COVID-19 restrictions.  In the meantime, Cn. Hylden recommends the Discovery Series from the diocese of Texas (https://vimeopro.com/epicentervideos/the-discovery-series), an online resource that would work well for inquirers during this season.

Clergy days online

We all of course miss the clergy conference at Camp Allen that had to be canceled, and at this point we are not sure yet when it will be safe to gather in large numbers for such an event.  However, we as clergy need all the more to seek one another’s counsel and encouragement for ministry in these trying times.  To that end, Canon Hylden will be organizing monthly (optional!) virtual clergy days (on Zoom… what else!), starting in June and going for as long as seems helpful.  Each day will be focused on some theme that presses in on us during this season, and give us an opportunity to hear a short presentation and then for discussion with one another. 

For each of the next few months, we plan to focus on issues such as the coming mental health crisis, online options for Christian formation (especially for new inquirers to the Anglican way), and offering our people resources for prayer and worship at home (building habits that we hope will stick, not just for this season!).  If you have an idea for a topic and/or would like to lead one of these days, please contact Canon Hylden.  

Government Covid-19 Resources

Texas Health and Human Services 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
World Health Organization