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Dear Allegheny Synod congregations and Rostered Ministers, I am thrilled to announce that our synod has its first new start (church plant) since 1968! ELCA Churchwide has approved Gloria de Dios, Pine Grove Mills (outside of State College) as a Synodically Authorized Worshiping Community Exploration (SAWCX). This 6-month exploration will be geared toward the Latinx community (those of Latino/a background) in Centre County and the State College area. We received a $6,000 grant from Churchwide to support our efforts. Pastor Paul Tomkiel and some members at St Paul, Pine Grove Mills identified the need for a Lutheran presence within the Latinx community in Centre County, and answered the call of the Holy Spirit by stepping in to help fill that need. This group has been building a core group of Latinx folks who have met a couple times for informal fellowship before the state-wide shutdown occurred. We are grateful that both the Pine Grove Mills group-- and those in the Latinx community who have already starting gathering-- listened and responded to God's guidance, and we are grateful that ELCA Churchwide has also affirmed God's guidance for this new start. This grant is currently on hold due to the pandemic and finding a Latinx mission developer mentor who will work with Pastor Paul Tomkiel and those at St Paul, Pine Grove Mills who are working on this new start. Once the risk of the pandemic is past and we have a mentor in place, Gloria de Dios will be official. We celebrate this new ethnic-specific ministry and pray for its success in reaching out to the Latinx community! If you would like to donate to Gloria de Dios and support this new ministry monetarily, please contact Interim DEM Pastor Becca Ehrlich at becca.ehrlich@alleghenysynod.com. God's peace, Pastor Becca Ehrlich Interim Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM) Assistant to the Bishop Allegheny Synod, ELCA (814) 942-1042 ext. 22

Pennsylvania Launches COVID-19 Job Hiring Portal Unemployment Rights and Resources—COVID-19 Fighting COVID-19 Stigma and Other Mental Health Resources added to Mental Health Resources for Coping with COVID-19 Human Services Secretary Encourages All Pennsylvanians to Help Report Child Abuse Amidst COVID-19 Public Health Crisis PUC Encourages Awareness of Telephone Discount Lifeline Program to Consumers at Risk of Isolation During Challenging Times WellSpan Health Resources for Community Partners; Grant Opportunity Christian Churches United Launching COVID-19 Response Fund Updates continue to be added at COVID-19/Coronavirus—Resources for Congregations, State-Level Guidance.

A Pastoral Letter from Bishop Michael Rhyne Monday of Holy Week April 6, 2020 May God’s grace and peace be with you! As we begin Holy Week in the time of COVID-19, we find ourselves unable to be together in this holiest of weeks. We are separate from each other and keeping our distance to slow the spread of this virus, prevent our medical systems from being overwhelmed, and protect the most vulnerable among us. I am so deeply thankful for the care you are showing to your siblings in Christ as we negotiate this unusual time. This is new territory for all of us. Our daily routines have been interrupted and we worry about friends and neighbors who might be affected by the virus. We may feel a sense of being at sea and in a wilderness not of our own making. The combination of the anxiety in the world along with the work of adjusting to a new normal can be exhausting. That is why it is extremely important for all of us to take care of ourselves in this time. I do not just mean our rostered ministers in the Allegheny Synod. Our leaders are working hard and looking for new and creative ways to keep us connected as the body of Christ in this uncertain time. I thank God for them and I hope you will join me in praying for and thanking God for our pastors and deacons in the Allegheny Synod. All of us need to take care of ourselves right now. I invite you to make the most of the situation we find ourselves in. Most of us are home under the ‘stay home’ order. Please utilize this change in our regular schedule to take time with our Lord. I encourage you this Holy Week – and throughout our time of shut-down – to develop a habit of spending time every day in God’s word. Take time to reflect on the Scriptures. If you don’t know where to start, I suggest opening one of the Gospels or reading a Psalm. The word of God will still your anxious heart and reminds us that we are not alone. God also will remind us that though this is a new experience for us, our Lord God has led his people through trial and tribulation before and God will bring us through to the other side. It is all the more fitting we remember that during Holy Week as we recall the story of our Lord Jesus who went through the trial and suffering of the cross, descended into death, and rose from that death to show us his true victory which brings us into eternal life. It also is important to take care of your mind and body in this time. Please make sure you are getting enough sleep. Doctors and therapists who I have spoken with have repeatedly said that sleep is one of the best remedies for stress and anxiety. Sleep allows us our body to reset and be ready for the next day. Make sure you are eating healthy food and getting enough to eat. In times like this we can go to two extremes in our diets. Anxiety and stress can kill our appetite and thus deprive us of the nutrients we need to function in this time. The other extreme is we stress eat to deal with the situation and over consume the sweets, fats, and sugars that our body craves in stressful times. To care for ourselves we want to make sure that we are getting nutritious foods, getting our vitamins, and eating our vegetables. I would encourage you to get outside if that is possible for you. We have been given an order to stay home, but that doesn’t mean we have to stay inside. I would encourage you to get out in your yard, sit on the porch, or find ways to get into the sunshine. I recommend this because it is important we keep moving as we are able in this time. That movement and sunshine can make us feel better while also reminding us that we are staying at home rather than being stuck at home. Finally, check on your friends and neighbors. We may not be able to be together in person, but we can call those people around us. Your friends and neighbors may have a need that you can help with now. Especially check on any of our older friends who may not be able to get out in this time. Perhaps you can help by picking up some of the essentials which they need. This is a way we can continue to care for each other, and be the church. You are precious to God. So please take care of yourselves in this time. Rest in the Lord. Get the sleep that you need. Try to eat well to fuel your body. Find ways to move and enjoy the sunshine. Look out for each other. I thank God for you. Please take care of yourself and be good to yourself. We will get through this. We are all in this together. In Christ, +Bishop Michael Rhyne

This week one of our colleagues asked our Synod Attorney, Megan Will, to explain for the sake of their Church Council why no one must be in the church building while we are under the shut down order. Megan’s response is below. I am sharing it with you with the permission of Megan and the colleague to whom she was responding. I thought this was a clear description of the reasons we must abide by this order. Megan is trying to help us understand the implications of this order and the liability our congregations are exposed to if we do not comply. May God continue to lead and guide you. In Christ, Bishop Michael Message from Megan Will: Good afternoon, Pastor I received your message regarding clarification of the Governor's Stay-at-Home Order. I appreciate your reaching out as the Order itself is unclear. I have been in contact daily with the Pennsylvania Bar Association receiving guidance on the Order and what is and is not allowed. The Bar Association has been in daily contact with our government officials in Harrisburg to answer these questions, and so, I feel confident in replying to your inquiries at this time. Please understand that the Order shutting down "essential businesses" lists religious organizations as "essential." However, this is only for emergent pastoral care. The church is not open and should not be open to anyone but you or your pastoral staff. This means that your council cannot gather, your choir cannot gather, and your youth cannot gather - even if you have less than 10 people who are practicing social distancing. The building is not to be open for any purpose, including Holy Week services. Activities that are allowed: getting mail, paying bills, returning phone calls, grabbing necessary items for your work from home. These activities are things that you or your staff only are permitted to do, and never while others are in the building. Example: if your secretary normally comes in at 10am every other day to go through the mail, please ensure she has left before you go in to do the same. Many counties are enforcing the Governor's order through the Pennsylvania State Police or other local police bureaus. The church could be fined and cited, as well as any individuals who are on the property, for failure to follow these orders. I don't want you or your congregation to land in criminal court, but that is the very real consequence of failure to follow the Order. Even worse, the church could lose public funding if they are failing to follow the Order. The District Attorney's Association has been tasked with keeping a list of businesses who have failed to follow the Order and turn that information over to the government so they may essentially blacklist organizations from receiving grants and public funding. I know you're frustrated. I know your parishioners are also frustrated. I cannot emphasize enough the danger that your parish is in for failure to follow this Order. I trust that you will advise your congregation appropriately. I appreciate your reaching out before these actions were taken; truly, I am praying for you and this Synod daily. Megan

Funerals in the Time of Covid-19 Bishop Michael L. Rhyne, Allegheny Synod, ELCA April 6, 2020 We find ourselves living in the time of COVID-19. At the present time, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is under a ‘stay-at-home’ order. Our pastors and congregations are learning new ways to connect while we are unable to gather in person. All of us wish that we could be together, but we know that to gather as the church at this time could endanger the most vulnerable among us. As hard as this is, we distance ourselves out of love for the members of our church family. None of us would want to be the reason that one of our beloved siblings in Christ contract this deadly virus. This separation is hard especially when those we love finish their time here on earth. This is the time, maybe more than any other, when we want to gather and hold each other in our pain and grief. The funeral is a chance for us to publicly and communally mourn and to thank God for the life of that one who has died. The question is then, what are we to do when we can’t come together because we need to keep members of our community safe? We wait. If the deceased and family decided to be cremated, the cremains can be kept by the family or funeral home until a public funeral and internment can be held. If the person does not wish to be cremated, there could be a graveside internment and a public memorial service once it is safe for persons to gather. For a graveside internment, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health is still allowing gatherings of 10 people or less—which includes the minister and the funeral director. We must continue to maintain social distancing, and as hard as it is, we have to forego the hugs and handshakes that we are accustomed to in these times. It is hard but these guidelines are for everyone’s safety. It is possible that as the virus spreads the allowed number of persons in any gathering could shrink. There are states where groups larger than 5 or even 2 are forbidden. We will have to adjust the size of any gatherings to the number allowed by the Dept. of Health at that time. Can a Christian be cremated? We have had several people ask what is the Lutheran position on cremation. The major Lutheran Church bodies in the United states, the ELCA, LCMS, and NALC, do not take an official position for or against cremation. These church bodies hold that cremation is one of several options for end of life decisions. This has not always been the case for the Christian church. In the early church, Christians were opposed to cremation. They believed that as Christ had a bodily burial, they also should have a bodily burial. The early Christians found themselves in a situation where they were surrounded by the Roman culture that practiced cremation as their primary means funeral rite. It was, therefore, important for these early Christians to distinguish themselves from the surrounding Roman culture. Part of the prohibition on cremation in the early church was to demonstrate that the followers of Christ were different from the pagan world that encircled them. The question I think is more likely to haunt people these days in regard to cremation is, ‘does burning the body affect our ability to be raised up on the last day’? The fear is if the body is cremated and turned to ash rather than being placed in the ground, we will not be able to be raised up because our earthly shell has been destroyed. Nothing can stop Jesus from raising you from the dead. Nothing that is done to your body can stop God from calling you into eternal life. You are baptized. Jesus has claimed you in those waters and will never let you go. Cremation will not prevent you from joining the resurrection. St. Paul tells us in Romans 8: 35 - 39 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution,or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing in this world or the next can separate us from Jesus Christ. Christ is the one who has claimed us in the waters of baptism and nothing can take us from him. Jesus says in the Gospel of John, “it is the will of Him who sent me, that I shall lose nothing of all that he has given me, and I will raise them up on the last day.” (John 6:39). Whether we are buried in a traditional casket, or our ashes are interred in a columbarium or in the ground, we belong to Jesus and he will never lose us. We also have to consider the process of cremation is speeding up the natural process of decay that occurs to all of us. Cremation turns the body to the ash and dust that we will all eventually become. That is important because if my resurrection depended on the state of my earthly remains then all of us could be in trouble. There are millions who have died and gone before of whom there are no earthly remains left. There may be some relics and bones of some of the early saints of the church, but most have crumbled to dust by now. We know that Jesus will be able to call them from the grave and raise them from the dead, no matter what condition their earthly remains are in –even if it is only dust. We also can consider our own condition. We know Jesus will return one day. If Jesus returns to us in the year 10,000 AD, even if we were buried in a more traditional burial none of us will be any more than dust by that time. The world will most likely have forgotten all of who we were. Jesus will know us. Jesus can call even dust into his eternal life. The question then is, “Do we become ash and dust now through cremation, or do we become dust through the process of time”? Either way, Jesus will find us and raise us up to his eternal life. In the end, this is a personal decision for each of us and our family. We have to do what is right for us and our loved ones. Cremation does not place your salvation or resurrection at risk. Our Lord Jesus will find us and call us home no matter what, because nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. At this point in my life, I have chosen to be buried when my time on earth is through. However, if that is not what happens to me, I know I will be okay, because whether I live or whether I die I belong to Jesus Christ. May God bless and keep you now and always. +Bishop Michael L. Rhyne

March 31, 2020 “For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.” – Romans 12:4-5 In these uncertain times when your congregation is not meeting in-person, it is easy to say to yourself that because you are not meeting, the church doesn’t need my offering. So often we see the church as the building and we forget the church is the people of God. Your congregation is not closed. Your congregation’s ministry has moved outside the building. The body of Christ is still alive and well. You can continue to participate in the body of Christ and your congregation’s ministry even while we are apart: Stay well. Wash your hands, stay home, eat well, exercise. Keeping yourself well in these days will allow you to help others. Help others. Even though we are apart, you can help others. Offer to make a few phone calls to check on members. If you are able, pick up medication for someone who cannot get out. If someone needs groceries and is not able to order online, offer to make the order and schedule the delivery. Pray. The news is often daunting and confusing. One thing remains true: you are a beloved child of God, called and claimed in the waters of baptism. Pray for your pastor, congregation members, community agencies, health-care workers, first responders, grocery store workers, small business owners, truck drivers, farmers, and all those who continue to work to help us sustain ourselves. Give. Continuing to give your offering is another way you can participate in your congregation’s ministry. If your congregation is set-up for online giving, you can give in that way. You also can mail a check to the church which includes your name and envelope number. Your congregation’s ministries continue to be a blessing to the community in these unusual days. Feeding ministries, prayer ministries, visitation by phone, and a host of other ministries are still happening through your congregation. We are proud of our pastors and deacons and lay worship leaders as they continue to find creative ways to be the church together even though we are apart. Please continue to financially support your congregation while we are apart, your gift ensures that your congregation will be able to continue its ministry long after this crisis is over. May God’s peace and blessing be with you now and always. The staff in the Office of the Bishop of the Allegheny Synod +Bishop Michael Rhyne Pastor Becca Ehrlich, Director for Evangelical Mission Pastor Paula Schmitt, Assistant to the Bishop Mrs. Michelle Bossler, Office Manager

This afternoon Mrs. Heather Kimmel, General Council for the UCC held a webcast on the Family First Coronavirus Relieve Act (FFCRA). Mrs. Kimmel gave an overview of the new law and how churches may be able to benefit from this law in paying and caring for their lay employees. This is the link to the video of the webcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VLMQL0khwE&feature=youtu.be

This document is the updated information from the ELCA on Covid-19 relief for individuals and congregations. Continue to check back here for further updates.

Dear church, The last couple of weeks have been trying ones for everyone across this church. Our synods, congregations and ministries are facing challenges that they’ve never faced before. Being church together means more now than ever before. The churchwide office is launching a comprehensive Covid-19 response across the ELCA beginning today. We have three new approaches designed to provide several levels of support for our most vulnerable congregations and ministries. These three approaches are Daily Bread Grants, Here to Serve, and the Covid-19 Response Appeal. DAILY BREAD GRANTS ELCA World Hunger is announcing the immediate launch of Daily Bread Matching Grants. Through these grants, ELCA congregations can raise funds for their feeding ministries using an online fundraising platform and will receive a grant of $500 from ELCA World Hunger. Up to 100 Daily Bread Matching Grants are available for ELCA congregations on a first-come, first-served basis, with the possibility of more grants becoming available in the future. Apply or donate here. HERE TO SERVE The churchwide organization is inherently a resource in support of the members, congregations, synods and partners of the ELCA. During this time, Domestic Mission will pivot to a project-based, service-oriented structure so this church knows we are here to serve. By the first week of April, we will launch a chat function on ELCA.org along with an 800 hotline for prayer, support and questions that will be answered by our staff. As soon as these channels are live, we will let you know. COVID-19 RESPONSE APPEAL It’s more important now than ever to support our church across the country through these difficult times. We will begin to raise funds to support our congregations, ministries and synods. This effort will launch the week of March 30 via email and social media with a special form online to donate. In addition to our new three-pronged response, our work continues in providing and updating resources on ELCA.org/publichealth. We are also still at work in the world. Our global mission work continues and grows in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic. We are working with our global companions to provide support where we can. Learn more about that here. I am proud to say that even during challenging times, we continue our service in living out the mission of this church: Together in Jesus Christ we are freed by grace to live faithfully, witness boldly and serve joyfully. Peace and be well, [if gte vml 1]>

Friends, Today, the Pennsylvania Council of Churches released A Pastoral Statement at a Time of Global Pandemic. Please feel free to share with your congregations or in other ways as you see fit. We have been maintaining a page with a variety of COVID-19 resources here, updated nearly daily. Here are the most recent additions (note in particular addition of resources for comfort): New York State Council of Churches’ Coronavirus Guide for Pastoral Leaders, Judicatories, and Congregations New PA Department of Agriculture COVID-19 Resources PA Department of Agriculture Community Feeding Guidance PA Department of Agriculture Guidance for Agricultural Producers COVID-19 Guidance for Grocery and Convenience Stores New FederalCOVID-19 Resources Waiver Granted: Food at Congregate Feeding Sites Can be Packaged and Carried Out What You Need to Know About the Government’s Break for Student Loan Borrowers Amid the Coronavirus New CDC Guidance: Unsheltered Homelessness and COVID-19) Financial Relief for Small Businesses & Nonprofits (seeking clarification on whether congregations are eligible) Information for Persons Who Wish to Volunteer During COVID-19 PA School Closures Extended, New Legislation Reduces Standardized Test Score Impact on Teachers Overview of Immigrant Eligibility for Medical Assistance Watch a Doctor Demonstrate How to Safely Bring Groceries Home During the Coronavirus Crisis Love and Comfort in a Time of Global Pandemic—Assorted Resources We hope that you find this information helpful as you continue to navigate these choppy waters. Blessings and peace, Rev. Sandra L. Strauss Director of Advocacy & Ecumenical Outreach Pennsylvania Council of Churches

Friends, Recently we announced the suspension of in-person services and in-person meetings in the Allegheny Synod through April 6, 2020. This week members of our Synod team and several pastors took part in a conference call with the Pennsylvania Secretary of Health, Dr. Rachel Levine. Dr. Levine was very candid in her discussion of the current situation. Dr. Levine shared that infection rates are doubling every few days. Her estimation is that the shutdown will extend into May. As more people begin to be infected with the Coronavirus, we may see stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders extended to our area. The stay-at-home orders are, at the time of this writing, in effect for five Pennsylvania counties. With this new information, we must suspend our in-person worship services and in-person meetings indefinitely. To gather at this time, while the infection rate of Covid-19 is exponentially growing and doubling every few days, would be dangerous and would expose the most vulnerable among us to serious illness and could lead to the death of our beloved members. We do not have a date for resumption of in-person services. I strongly encourage your Council to make this decision. I learned this week from Bishop Bartholomew in New Jersey that one of their congregations has had three people die from Covid-19 and, at this time, four people are ill in the hospital with the virus. This is a small congregation where everyone knows and loves each other—not unlike many of the congregations in the Allegheny Synod. They mourn the death of three beloved sisters and brothers in Christ and are praying that they will not mourn the death of seven. This is why we can’t meet together. We don’t want our congregations to be a health hazard to our members. We don’t want to lose people we love. I don’t want any of you to get sick, die, or to accidentally pass what could be a lethal virus to people you love. I do not like that we find ourselves in this situation. I want our churches to be open. I want us to be able to gather together, to embrace each other, and to share the love of Christ in person. But, to gather together in- person at this time would be unsafe and life-threatening. Not gathering together in person as the church breaks my heart, but we need to protect each other. It is out of concern for the health of our members that I give you this directive. Additionally, this is the policy that most church bodies in our area are following. The Altoona-Johnstown Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church has suspended services indefinitely. The Orthodox Churches have closed public worship at the order of the Ecumenical Patriarch. The Episcopal Church has suspended in-person worship until the shutdown is over. The Presbyterian and Methodist churches have suspended services. We are all doing the best we can to care for our people. Your pastors and deacons are hard at work figuring out how to faithfully lead worship and care for you in this time. Many of our leaders are offering recorded services on the internet. We are using Zoom technology and conference calling to bring our communities together as best we can. We also know that some of our congregations do not have a pastor at this time and rely on our lay worship leaders to provide services. For these congregations, I would first encourage you to see what your local sister congregations are offering. Please feel free to take part in the prayer and worship offerings that any of our congregations are making available. The Synod staff also is posting a weekly Sunday worship service which is posted on the Allegheny Synod 8C Facebook page. In Christ, +Bishop Michael L. Rhyne

Colleagues, I have asked our Synod Attorney, Mrs. Megan Will, to write to us about the importance of following this shutdown. I am sharing this with you for your information and so that you may share this with you members. Please see what Mrs. Will writes below. I think it is important to note that in addition to being in private practice, Mrs. Will is an Assistant District Attorney for Somerset county. She understands this order from many different perspectives. Mrs. Will has also sent the order from Governor Wolf. Please note that Mrs. Will says that we should not expose ourselves or the Synod to liability. The same holds true for our congregations. We don’t want to do anything which could lead to fines or penalties for our people. Please know you continue to be in my prayers. May the peace of Christ be with you as you care for your people. In Christ, +Bishop Michael Rhyne From: Megan Will Sent: Friday, March 20, 2020 12:50 PM To: Bishop Michael Rhyne Subject: Governor's Order Bishop, I've received numerous calls, messages, and emails about Governor Wolf's order. The Governor has statutory authority to declare what he did, as cited in the order (attached). More importantly, he has been guided by a team of health officials in making these decisions in order to keep us safe. I know no one likes this order, but we must abide by it. I am not a doctor and if our medical professionals are saying this is what needs done in order to help stop this virus from spreading, I'm going to follow that advice. I've ordered my staff to stay home and shuttered my office for 2 weeks. This isn't about politics or religion -- these are experts asking us to stay home and avoid people. I'm going to listen to them. Perhaps even more important than the above, businesses (the church included) find themselves substantially at risk if they refuse to comply. They face criminal charges, loss of funding, loss of licenses, etc. The PA District Attorney's Association has given each county's DA office a list of what to cite businesses with and why for failure to comply with this order. ANY CONGREGATION WHO THINKS THEY CAN IGNORE THIS ORDER IS PLACING THEIR FUTURE AND LIVELIHOOD AT RISK. This is serious; this is not a media thing. This is science and we have to comply. Shepherd your people through this crisis but please emphasize that now is not the time for resistance. I'm not willing to expose myself or this Synod to liability because someone else refuses to listen to a team of experts and comply with a Governor's Order. I am certain you feel the same. Megan