CLF, in coordination with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and the Canadian Council of Christian Charities, recently wrote to the Government of Ontario. Our letter (which can be accessed here and below) highlights the importance of faith communities in times of crisis, not only for the members of these communities, but for society at large also. More specifically, we call attention to the fact that churches and other religious organizations continue to play an integral part in responding to the many hardships accompanying this pandemic, especially as they affect the most vulnerable among us, in the form of spiritual, emotional and material support. While acknowledging the need for ongoing precautions to limit infection, we emphasize the essential role churches play in responding to this crisis. In particular, we have asked the Premier to expressly include religious communities in the Province’s plans to “re-open” in a way that recognizes their unique and essential purposes.
To that end, CLF, EFC, and CCCC have offered to work alongside the Ontario government in a consultative role, to assist key decisionmakers in understanding the essential support roles of religious communities so they can incorporate and balance these functions with ongoing efforts to protect Ontarians’ physical health and safety. CLF looks forward to hearing from back from the Premier’s office, and will post updates accordingly.
Read the letter - sent May 4, 2020 - here (click the “[ ]” icon in the bottom right corner to enable full screen mode):