Following the Prime Minister's announcement that church services may be able to resume from 4 July, Bishop Martyn said:
"We welcome the government announcement and are very pleased that some of our churches will be able to hold services on Sundays and during the week. However, we are also very aware that many churches will not be able to re-open immediately because they are dependent on volunteers for all the necessary health and safety measures.
"We encourage people to check church websites and notice boards for further information. And even in those churches that are able to open, people should be aware that the services will be very different, as we continue to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of all.
“The Bishop’s Leadership Team has also been reflecting in recent weeks about how we keep an outward focus to our church life even as we go through this next transition. It would be very easy for the practicalities of church worship to occupy all our attention while many in our society continue to grieve and to suffer (the economic situation will bring severe challenges to the most vulnerable). For this reason, we will be inviting churches, fresh expressions of Church and our schools in the coming weeks and months to explore with your local communities how we nurture hope and work together for the common good. Under the banner ‘Together in Hope’, we will suggest some very simple ways to get people talking and working together. The Cathedral will launch this with a virtual board inviting visitors to write about what it means to be ‘together in hope’. We want to stress that this will be an invitation – not every church will want to participate – but we will be offering practical support. More information will follow.
“We will also be facilitating conversations with every parish and fresh expression of Church in the autumn to explore together with you new patterns of church life and ministry that we may want to develop for the future in the light of our changed context. We will be in touch after the summer with more details on how we hope to hear your ideas and reflections.”