Faithfully Our Hearts Are Open: A Letter of Solidarity from Durham Faith Leaders

Standing in Solidarity to Stay Closed with Our Sister Churches

As faith leaders we are accustomed to fulfilling our duty by congregating, by gathering for worship in prayer and song.  We realize, however, that promoting and facilitating physical proximity, especially through songful worship, poses a potentially lethal threat to the health and safety of our families, friends, and neighbors.  

Our responsibility to promote physical distancing during this pandemic is a sacred duty.  Our traditions are diverse, yet we share a faithful devotion to the preservation of lives.  Our obligation to promote public health during this pandemic is part and parcel of our core beliefs, inextricable with our sense of what God demands of us.  

For this reason, we reject the notion that houses of worship ought to be exempt from orders that limit large gatherings. Lest our churches, temples, and mosques become incubators for COVID-19, houses of worship are the very places that must model safety and promote wellness.  

In our hearts there is no greater desire than for us to gather in peace. We recognize, however, that at this moment- and likely until a vaccine is available- human behavior in group settings is our greatest asset or liability.  We are gravely alarmed by the widespread, reckless move to reopen institutions that put human beings in close proximity to each other.  When reopening buildings to large groups, the fast-track is the lethal track. The life-affirming track, which our faiths call us to follow, is one that adheres, at every stage and with utmost prudence, to measures that reduce the risk of transmission and fatality for the vulnerable.

As we pursue our obligation to promote physical distancing, our shared religious values demand that we draw near to each other in other ways.  We do not distance ourselves from harsh realities and human dignity, and we are particularly cognizant that COVID-19 is not a “great equalizer.”  This pandemic attacks our citizens disproportionately, along fault lines of racial and economic inequality. Closing buildings does not mean closing hearts and hands to the sacred work of caring for our African American, Latinx, and immigrant communities.  The hour calls for urgent action. While our stance regarding the timeline for safely regathering may not mirror that of our government officials, we believe that our primary responsibility during this unprecedented pandemic is to the public health and safety of those whom we have been divinely called to serve.  We urge all civic leaders to lead with moral fortitude and steadfast devotion to the dignity of those most vulnerable to the health and economic impact of this pandemic. 

Lastly, we invite our clergy colleagues whose views differ from our own into conversation with us. We share our convictions with humility, with a listening heart, and with full appreciation for the complexity and uncertainty that challenges all of us in this moment.  

In Fellowship and Peace,

Rev. Scott Anderson

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

Rev. Dr. Jonathan C. Augustine

Senior Pastor, St. Joseph AME Church

National Chaplain, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Rev. Donna Banks

Lead Pastor, McMannen United Methodist Church

Rev. Betty Berghaus, Honorably Retired

Bridge Interim at Mt. Bethel Presbyterian Church

Elder James A. Blake

Pastor, Fisher Memorial United Holy Church

Rev. Spencer Bradford

Executive Director, Durham Congregations In Action

Rev. Allen Brimer

Pastor, Farm Church

Dr. B. Angeloe Burch Sr.

Executive Director, AADE

Rev. Clarence Burke

Pastor, Beacon Light Baptist Church

Rev. Dana Cassell

Pastor, Peace Covenant Church of the Brethren

Rev. Deborah Cayer

Lead Minister, Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

Rev. Dorisanne Cooper

Pastor, Watts Street Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Katie Crowe

Pastor, Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Herbert Reynolds Davis

Senior Pastor, Nehemiah Church COGIC

Rev. Crystal DesVignes

Pastor, CityWell UMC

Rev. Dr. Mindy Douglas

Pastor, First Presbyterian Church

Rev. Lakesha Bradshaw Easter

Pastor, Covenant Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Matthew Floding

Director of Ministerial Formation, Duke Divinity School

Rabbi Elana Friedman

Campus Rabbi, Jewish Life at Duke 

Rabbi John Friedman

Emeritus Rabbi, Judea Reform Congregation

Franklin GoldenPastor, Durham Church

Rabbi Daniel Greyber

Beth El Synagogue

Rev. Tommy Grimm

Associate Pastor, Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church 

Rev. Margaret E. Herz-LaneInterim Pastor, Abiding Savior Lutheran Church

The Rev. M. Jonah Kendall

Rector, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church

Rev. Ben Johnston-Krase

Farm Church

Bishop Clarence Laney

Monument of Faith Church

Rev.  Curt Lowndes

Lead Pastor, The Gathering Church

William V. Lucas

Senior Pastor, First Chronicles Community Church

Superintendent Wil Nichols

Victorious Praise Fellowship Church of God in Christ

Rev. Monnie Riggin

Deacon, St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church

Rev. Prince R. Rivers

Senior Pastor, Union Baptist Church

Rev. Heather M. Rodriguez

Lead Pastor, Duke Memorial UMC

Rev. Dr. Sharon Schulze

Pastor, South Durham Connections, ELCA

Rabbi Matthew Soffer

Judea Reform Congregation

Rev. Dr. Helen Svoboda-BarberRector, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

Rev. Laura Thompson

Pastor, Pleasant Green United Methodist Church

Rev. Chris Tuttle

Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church

Rev. Kristen D. Williams

Minister of Adult Formation and Witness, Duke Memorial UMC

Rev. Melinda Keenan Wood

Senior Pastor, Pilgrim United Church of Christ

Imam Abdul Hafeez Waheed

Masjid Muhammed

Rev. Molly Brummett Wudel

Pastor, Emmaus Way Church