Vaccine Passport at the Church Door?

 

Today I will be in a community and church building where I formerly served as pastor in order to preside at a memorial service. I have only done one other funeral/memorial service since retiring four years ago and I prefer this for a number of reasons, including maintaining professional boundaries. This situation is unusual in that I was asked if I would preside for this individual by the incumbent minister several months ago. This pastor is on sabbatical and realized that it was likely that the person, who had terminal cancer, would die during her absence. I have a strong personal history with the family, so it was felt that my presence and leadership would be a comfort.

This will be the first service in the sanctuary in nearly a year and a half, and strict protocols will be observed, with the assistance of the excellent staff of the funeral home -- I know them well. Masks and distancing and limited numbers of preregistered attendees will be observed. What won't be required is proof of vaccination. Of course, many congregations have worshipped during the pandemic, when allowed, including our home church, Trenton United. They did so when no vaccines existed and yet there were no COVID outbreaks because stringent guidelines were in place.

There is much talk these days about vaccine requirements in various settings, including health care and schools. Some employers are requiring that employees are vaccinated as they return to the workplace, and some colleges and universities as well. With this there is the discussion over so-called vaccine passports and the ethics of issuing them. There are no straightforward answers, although there are already expectations that children prove they are vaccinated for a number of illnesses in order to attend school. Some Indigenous people are rolling their eyes over the kerfuffle, given that they have muswt have status cards to prove who they are under the archaic Indian Act. 

A colleague from days past phoned me to work this through because some members of their church board wanted to implement proof of vaccination for people to attend worship. She resists this requirement because it seems antithetical to a gospel of inclusion. Of course, she supports the protocols and restrictions already in place, but this seems excessive. I agreed and suggested that they can still remind people that loving one's neighbour as one's self should result in people getting jabbed for Jesus, and for those around them. Vaccine requirements in churches seems like a weird twist on St. Peter at the Pearly Gates.

We will all need patience and wisdom as we find our way forward, including when we come together as Christ's people.