New COVID Protocols Announced for Temple
BREAKING NEWS: TEMPLE BOARD PROVIDES NEW COVID GUIDANCE
The biggest changes mean you can attend services in person at the Temple as long as you provide your contact information at the door and wear a mask indoors. No reservation is required.
To the degree possible, services will be held live every Sunday and will be livestreamed.
BOARD ACTION
By email vote, earlier this week the Board of Directors approved the recommendations of its Reopening Committee for moving forward with live services at the Temple. The full guidelines are listed following.
A. Guidelines for all weekly services at Temple:
In the Hondo, require all individuals over the age of 2 years old to wear masks until further notice.
Maintain back 6 rows on east side of Hondo to have every other row blocked off for individuals who want to maintain social distancing.
Have individuals sign in with telephone number or email.
No requirement to pre-register to attend weekly service. If there is an overflow of attendees, additional seating with the large screen TV will be set-up in the Annex.
Have burning incense during service as it was prior to COVID-19. Allow attendees to offer incense during Oshoko. If attendees are uncomfortable in offering incense, they can do gassho without the burning of incense. This gives the attendees a choice to do what they feel most comfortable doing.
Supervising Minister or supervising Minister Assistant Chair of the weekly service at the Temple can have more restrictive requirements if they choose to.
B. Guidelines for Funeral, Memorial Services, etc.
In the Hondo, require all individuals over the age of 2 years old to wear masks until further notice.
Maintain back 6 rows on east side of Hondo to have every other row blocked off for individuals who want to maintain social distancing.
Have individuals sign in with telephone number or email.
No requirement to pre-register to attend service. If there is an overflow of attendees, additional seating with the large screen TV will be set-up in the Annex.
Have burning incense during service as it was prior to COVID-19. Allow attendees to offer incense during Oshoko. If attendees are uncomfortable in offering incense, they can do gassho without the burning of incense. This gives the attendees a choice to do what they feel most comfortable doing.
Supervising Minister, supervising Minister Assistant Chair of the service at the Temple or the family can have more restrictive requirements if they choose to.
C. There will be no additional capacity restrictions at the Temple facilities except the Hondo, which will remain to have every other row of the last 6 rows on the east side blocked off for individuals who prefer to social distance.
D. In the Hondo, masks will be required and in all other Temple interior facilities masks are recommended.
E. There will be no additional capacity restrictions at the Temple interior facilities except the Hondo, which will remain to have 25% of the seating for individuals who prefer to social distance.
F. Chair people of events at the Temple can have more restrictive requirements if they choose to.
G. Re-Opening Committee recommends if possible to have weekly services depending on the capacity of our Ministerial Team.
Ministerial Team Commits to Provide Live Services Every Sunday
In related news, after the new guidelines for Covid protocols were approved, the Ministerial team committed to provide Informal Services, or mini-services, on Sundays not otherwise covered by an Ordained minister. This action was discussed with and approved by Supervising Minister Rev. Gregory Gibbs.
At Least Two Services Each Month with Ordained Officiant
The model moving forward will continue to providing at least two services each month, with an ordained Minister presiding. Usually this includes a Major or Special Service (like Hanamatsuri) and the monthly memorial of Shotsuki Hoyo (held the first Sunday of each month where practical).
Informal Services or Mini-Services
Other services will be officiated by a non-ordained Minister’s Assistant under the guidance of Supervising Minister Rev. Gregory Gibbs. The role of the MAs here in officiating services is one of training and is possible only due to Rev. Gibbs overview.
The services may be slightly shorter and will contain somewhat less ritual. The MA team will finetune their approach to the services as they gain experience about what works best.
The Ministerial Staff Committee includes Rev. Gregory Gibbs, Rev. Laverne Imori, Rev. Noriko Kawai, Rev. Maribeth Smith; LuAnn Lee, Board President; and nonordained MAs Arturo Rubio, Sharon Sasaki, Kaytee Sumida, Bill Teague, and Yukari Williams.
The Reopening Committee includes LuAnn Lee, Board President, with Ralph Honda, Rev. Laverne Imori, Michael Kinoshita, Nancy Martinez, Ken Muraoka, Rev. Maribeth Smith, Bill Teague, and Lisa Umekubo.