The Charlotte region has thousands of diverse faith communities impacted by the persistent and serious threats associated with COVID-19. Each faith community has found creative ways to express our core beliefs and spiritual practices under the social distancing guidelines. We yearn for connection and the chance to worship together. We understand and respect Governor Cooper’s recent announcement transitioning North Carolina towards the easing of restrictions. COVID-19 remains a considerable threat. Lest we forget, faith communities who sang together, shared meals, and stood shoulder to shoulder were initially hit hardest by the virus. Regathering prematurely risks the spike of infection.
We will approach the complicated process of regathering in our temples, mosques, sanctuaries and meeting halls with abundant caution and intention. Respectfully, these decisions may not align with the guidelines offered by government officials. We share the belief that all people are created in the image of God. It is the health, safety, and well-being of our communities and neighbors that motivate us towards making decisions that will care for and protect one another.
With Hope,
Claude Alexander – The Park Church
Rev. Megan Argabrite – Amity Presbyterian Church
Nathan Arledge – Myers Park United Methodist Church
Rev. Floretta Barbee-Watkins – The Avenue, PCUSA
Rev. Sherri Barnes St. Andrews – United Methodist Church
Rev. Pamela Blackstock – Central United Methodist Church
Rev. Deb Blackwood, PhD – Episcopal Diosese of North Carolina
Rev. Dr. W. Benjamin Boswell – Myers Park Baptist Church
Linwood Brooks – Woodlawn Community Fellowship
Matt Brown – South Mecklenburg Presbyterian Church
Rev. Gregory B.F. Brown – The Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter
Rev. Dr. Gregory Busby – McClintock Presbyterian Church
Rev. Lee Canipe – Providence Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Jerry L. Cannon – CN Jenkins Memorial Presbyterian Church
Rev. Veronica E. Cannon – The Presbytery of Charlotte
Reverend Michelle Chappell – Dilworth United Methodist Church
Imam Atif Chaudry – The Islamic Society of Greater Charlotte
Rev. John Cleghorn Caldwell – Presbyterian Church
Joseph J. Clifford – Myers Park Presbyterian Church
Rev. Andrea Conder – St. Francis United Methodist Church
Jonathan Coppedge-Henley Cokesbury – United Methodist Church
Revs. Russ and Amy Jack Dean – Park Road Baptist Church
Cheri Dennis – Holy Covenant United Church of Christ
Rev. Matt Drumheller – First Presbyterian Church, Albemarle
The Rev. Chip Edens – Christ Church, Charlotte
Rev. Dr. Jan Edmiston – The Presbytery of Charlotte
Rev. Dr. Dennis W. Foust, PhD – St. John’s Baptist Church
Donnie Garris – Antioch Baptist Church
Rev. Darryl R. Gaston – Smallwood Presbyterian Church
Rev. Patrick S. Hamrick – First United Methodist Church
Rev. Dr. Susan A. Heafner- Heun – The Vine, United Methodist Church
Sally Herlong – Mecklenberg Ministries
Rev. Herbert Hill – Covenant Presbyterian Church, Kannapolis
The Rev. Sarah D. Hollar – St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
Reverend James Howell – Myers Park Methodist Church
Rev. Gene Humphreys – Church of the Holy Comforter
Rev. Larry D. James – Southend Presbyterian Church
Rev. Greg Jarrell – QC Family Tree
Rev. Jennifer Helms Jarrell – QC Family Tree
Rev. M. Blake Kendrick – Providence Baptist Church
Dorothy J. Killian, M.Div, J.D. – Memorial Presbyterian Church
Rabbi Dusty Klass – Temple Beth El
Rabbi Asher Knight – Temple Beth El
Rev. Jay Leach – Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte
Jae Lee Calvary – United Methodist Church
Rev. Steve Lindsley – Trinity Presbyterian Church
Marina Luckhoo – Faith Community Nurse
Rev. Fred Lyon – The Presbytery of Charlotte
Luke H. Maybry – Matthews Presbyterian Church
Rev. Sonya Mcauley-Allen – Bellfonte Presbyterian Church
Rev. Jolin McElroy – First Christian Church
Rev. Ray S. McKinnon – South Tryon Community United Methodist Church
Rev. Lisa McLennan – Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church
Rev. Dr. F. Timothy Moore – Sardis Baptist Church
Rev. Kate Murphy – The Grove (PCUSA)
The Rev. Reginald A. Payne-Wiens – Chapel of Christ the King
Pendleton Barnes Peery – First Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Jacob Pierce – St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Rev. Alexander Porter – Bethpage United Presbyterian Church
Rev. Lori Archer Raible – Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church
Rev. David Roberts – Watershed
Amanda K. Robertson – The Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter
Rev. Valerie Rosenquist, Ph.D. – First United Methodist Church
Rev. Robin O. Sands – St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Rabbi Judy Schindler – Stan Greenspon Center for Peace and Social Justice at Queens Univ.
Katie Sloan – Philadelphia Presbyterian Church
Rev Lorezno Small, Sr. – First United Presbyterian Church
Rev. Marion Sprott-Goldson – St. Martin’s Episcopal Church
Rev. Shavon Starling-Louis – Meadowlake Presbyterian Church, Huntersville
Amanda Stephenson – St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Rev. Amelia Stinson-Wesley – First United Methodist Church
Cantor Mary R. Thomas – Temple Beth El
Rev. Danny Trapp – Philadelphia Presbyterian Church
Rev. Susan Suarez Webster – Central United Methodist Church
Rev. Dr. Peter M. Wherry – Mayfield Memorial Missionary Baptist Church
Rev. Nina Wynn – United Methodist Church
The Rev. Rebecca Yarbrough – The Chapel of Christ the King (Episcopal)
Read Charlotte Faith Leaders on Reopening: ‘Just Because We Can Doesn’t Mean We Should.’
