COVID-19 Statement

Please note: We are closed to the public until further notice. Sunday Platforms and other gatherings will be held virtually.

Dear Community,

Dear Ethical Society of St. Louis Community, Today St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page declared a state of emergency in St. Louis County as part of the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 (sometimes called Coronavirus). As part of the County’s precautions, groups larger than 50 have been asked to stop gathering. Given that limiting contact with others is one of the best ways to fight the spread of the virus, and given that our building is used by a large number of groups and hundreds of people every week, we have made the difficult decision to hold Platforms virtually (see below) and to cancel all programming at the Ethical Society until further notice. This includes Forum, Colloquy, meditation groups, and all other meetings. Our building is now closed to the public. We recognize that this is going to be difficult for many of our members. For some of us, the Ethical Society is our main source of interpersonal connection, a place we go to see friends, seek inspiration, and regenerate our spirits. This is why, while we will be closed for in-person meetings, the Ethical Society will continue to provide programs to help people find connection and comfort. These programs include: 

• Today (3/13) at 6 pm there will be gathering on Zoom for members and friends who either have any questions about our policy or about what we will be doing going forward. Joining a Zoom meeting requires you either to download the Zoom program on your computer, tablet, or phone, or call in with a phone number we will provide. Please follow the instructions at this link to get set up or, if you’d like assistance, email James Croft (jcroft@ethicalstl.org) or Louise Jett (ljett@ethicalstl.org). Our permanent meeting code is 384 422 5785 – that’s ETHICALSTL spelled out on a phone.
• Starting this Sunday (3/15) we will be replacing Platform with an online gathering. This Sunday, Platform will be livestreamed on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/EthicalStL. Just follow that link, a bit before 11 am, and you can watch Platform as usual! You do not need to join Facebook in order to watch the livestream, but you will need to join Facebook and create a profile to comment if you wish.
• Following this Sunday, we will be trying to provide numerous ways for people to continue to connect with each other online, including regular hangouts just to chat, and pastoral care opportunities to discuss how people are feeling. Most of these will probably involve Zoom, so please get set up as soon as possible if you’d like to join us. Again, follow the instructions at this link to set up Zoom, or email Louise or James.

This is a scary and uncertain time. We don’t yet know the true extent of the virus’ spread through the St. Louis community, and the measures we must take to avoid infection could cause anxiety and loneliness. We want to assure you that the Ethical Society of St. Louis is still here for you: our staff our still working, Kate and James are still available to talk and perform pastoral care visits, and we will do our best to continue to offer programming which helps us be human, together. 

Yours Sincerely, 
Kate Lovelady and James Croft