We are providing advice and procedures from when churches were allowed to reopen from July 4, 2020 to the present time
Documents provided by the Methodist Church, Government and other bodies are provided under tabs from this one, which will concentrate of providing our own explanations, pathways and templates.
The occurrence and stability of Covid-19 in buildings is described in the Risk Reduction file.
The 'Steps to take' file is designed to help you work through how you might open the church for worship and think about the risk assessment. Please do give comments to help us refine this.
From December 26, the regional, tiered system of regulations came into force with a new distribution. The majority of our churches were in the Tier 4 region in Hampshire; those in Wiltshire were in Tier 3. From January 5, all areas will be subject to the National Lockdown, which for Places of Worship are similar regulations to those under Tier 4. The Lockdown guidance is available HERE.
Tier 4 is entitled 'Stay at Home', but local travel to communal worship is allowed. Essential travel should only be very local, 'meaning avoiding travelling outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live' . In Tiers 2, 3, and 4, communal worship is allowed in principle, with the avoidance of mingling between households or bubbles. Prayer or study groups cannot meet in person within Tier 4.
Updated January 4, 2021.