VACCINATIONS IN WCC MEMBER TRADITIONS
From With One Body and One Spirit: Returning to Church 3.0
This list is accurate as of September 20, 2021 according to consultation with ecumenical representatives and official websites of member traditions.
| National/International Body | Position or Public Statement |
| African Methodist Episcopal Church | Call for greater equity in global vaccinations, many individual churches host vaccination clinics |
| American Baptist Churches-USA | Supports Vaccination, founding member of national volunteer COVID-19 Community Corps, partner in Faiths4Vaccines national initiative. |
| Armenian Church | “Vaccination is an important tool in ending the pandemic”[1] – Bishop Daniel, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of America, April 29 2021 |
| Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) | Leaders advise local churches to listen to public health officials and follow their guidance. Denomination is a partner in Faiths4Vaccines national initiative. Regional leaders issued a letter suggesting that the faithful ask the question, ““In this circumstance, what does love require?”” |
| Christian Methodist Episcopal Church | “The College of Bishops are advocates for the COVID-19 vaccination. However, the decision to receive or not receive is a personal health decision…Taking the vaccination just be a way of showing love for your family, friends and neighbors.”[2] January 7, 2021 |
| Church of God in Christ (COGIC) | “We trust God and science, not politics. Therefore on behalf of our Presiding Bishop, Charles Edward Blake, we urge you to accept the vaccine…”[3] Presiding Bishop Blake and Expert COGIC Doctor’s Statement on the COVID Vaccine, Dec 29 2010 Operates a COVID Vaccine Shots and Educational Site Program to support churches that are a vaccine site in their community. |
| Church of the Brethren | Invites churches to help with the COVID-19 Community Corps, shares information on FEMA vaccination efforts, and signs on to an interfaith letter for global vaccine equity.[4] |
| Coptic Church | Coptic Pope Tawadros of Alexandria has been vaccinated. During a seminar with young adults he was asked if it was right to take vaccines and answered, “The COVID-19 vaccines were produced through strenuous research and tests, and their effectiveness has been confirmed. What is circulated on social media regarding side effects may be nothing but commercial competition between the producing companies.”[5] |
| Ecumenical Catholic Communion | No doctrinal stance; local congregations have freedom to take their own positions and programming. |
| The Episcopal Church | “The Episcopal Church strongly encourages everyone to get vaccinated against COVID-19 using any approved vaccine.” The church is a partner in Faiths4Vaccines.[6] |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | ELCA leaders have encouraged participation in vaccination programs as a primary means to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. There is no specific ELCA policy resolution dedicated to vaccination, but in the Lutheran tradition and in ELCA teaching there is no evident basis for religious exemption. “Historical Lutheran thinking has encouraged use of medical means and includes no history of objection to or exemption from the use of medicine.”[7] The church is a partner in Faiths4Vaccines. |
| Greek Orthodox Church | “Although some may be exempt from the vaccination for clear medical reasons, there is no exemption in the Orthodox Church for Her faithful from any vaccination for religious reasons, including the coronavirus vaccine. For this reason, letters of exemption for the vaccination against the coronavirus for religious purposes issued by priests of the Archdiocese of America have no validity, and furthermore, no clergy are to issue such religious exemption letters for any reason.”[8] September 17, 2021. His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America have been vaccinated. “It is His All Holiness’ fervent prayer that everyone get vaccinated as soon as possible to contain this global and deadly virus.”[9] Archbishop Elpidophoros is Chairman of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North America and signatory to their January 25, 2021 statement. See footnote 9. |
| Life Center Madison | The church does not have any official vaccination position, understanding the cultural and medical nuance of each individual’s decision, both in the fellowship and the broader community. Senior leaders have shared their vaccination experience with the church, and help with community vaccination clinics for those who experience accessibility and equity barriers. |
| Mennonite Church USA | The national church has not made a formal statement; there is a strong tradition of congregational polity. In the Central District Conference there has not been a formal statement, but there is a general sense of support for vaccination. |
| Metropolitan Community Churches | Some individual churches are hosting vaccination clinics. Added Oct 15, 2021 MCC elders have written a formal statement. [see article] |
| Moravian Church | The denomination is a member tradition of the National Council of Churches, which is part of the core group of Faiths4Vaccines. The Board of World Missions for the Moravian Church has a Vaccine Volunteer program soliciting digital volunteers to assist people in finding vaccination sites.[10] |
| Orthodox Church in America | Archbishop Michael is signatory to a January 25, 2021statement from the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North America: “as your spiritual shepherds, we affirm and assure you that it is neither wrong nor sinful to seek medical attention and advice. In fact, we welcome interventions that provide us more time for spiritual renewal and repentance. We therefore encourage all of you – the clergy and lay faithful of our Church – to consult your physicians in order to determine the appropriate course of action for you, just as you do for surgeries, medications, and vaccinations, in cancer treatments and other ailments. Indeed, while your own bishop, priest, or spiritual father remains prepared to assist you with spiritual matters, your personal doctor will guide your individual medical decisions.” [11] |
| Presbyterian Church (USA) | President and Executive Director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency said, “I believe being vaccinated is an important step in ending the suffering of so many in our nation and world.”[12] The Stated Clerk of the PC(USA) has been vaccinated. In February 2021, he said, it’s up to each individual to decide whether they will or won’t be vaccinated. [13] Added Oct 1, 2021 “The theological commitments of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) compel us to support vaccination against COVID-19 for all people except those who are unable to receive the vaccines due either to age or medical condition.” [see article] |
| Reformed Church in America | The denomination does not have a formal or informal stance on vaccines, vaccinations or exemptions. The denomination is a member tradition of the National Council of Churches, which is part of the core group of Faiths4Vaccines. |
| Roman Catholic Church (observer member of the Wisconsin Council of Churches) | The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has said that “where ethically irreproachable Covid-19 vaccines are not available…it is morally acceptable to receive Covid-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process.” [14] 21 December 2020. Pope Francis has stated that “Humanity has a history of friendship with vaccines,” and both he and Pope Emeritus Benedict have been vaccinated. The Roman Catholic Bishops of Wisconsin issued a letter on Vaccination and Conscience Protection, August 20 2021. In it they state that: vaccination is permissible and serves the common good; the Church recognizes the right of individual conscience, which civil authorities must recognize and protect; and emphasize that responsibilities come with religious and conscientious objection. They state that pastors should not feel compelled to issue documentation recognizing conscientious objection and should not feel compelled to do so.[13] |
| United Church of Christ | The denomination has congregational polity and decisions are up to each congregation. Its General Minister and President, Rev. John C. Dorhauer has been vaccinated. The denomination is a member tradition of the National Council of Churches, which is part of the core group of Faiths4Vaccines. Individual churches have participated in vaccine clinics and as advocates for vaccination. |
| United Methodist Church | United Methodist Social Principles state: “We recognize science as a legitimate interpretation of God’s natural world. We affirm the validity of the claims of science in describing the natural world and in determining what is scientific. We preclude science from making authoritative claims about theological issues and theology from making authoritative claims about scientific issues” (United Methodist Social Principles The Natural World: Science and Technology ¶160.F) The Connectional Table, a United Methodist leadership body, identifies COVID-19 vaccine distribution as a missional priority for the denomination.[15] |
