Gilster president pens letter to churches, encouraging vaccinations

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The president of Gilster Mary Lee is encouraging congregational leaders in Perry and Randolph counties to protect the health of their church community by urging vaccinations.
“We are again seeing a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in our region,” Tom Welge wrote in a letter dated July 29. “The longer the virus remains here, the greater the chances of new variants arising, some of which are more dangerous and more freely transmissible. We had all hoped this horrible time was ending, unfortunately it appears that is not the case.
“As the leader of your church, your voice is powerful and respected,” Welge continued. “I am asking you to consider, are you doing everything you can to protect your congregation? Are you encouraging them to protect their own health and that of their friends and families? Most importantly, are encouraging them to be vaccinated?”
Asked to comment on the recent letter, Welge explained the rationale behind sending it to congregations.
“Over the past month I became increasingly concerned about new the cases of Covid-19 that were arising in both Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois,” he said. “I personally strongly advocate for vaccines as our best protection, and I was also concerned about the amount of false information that is being circulated regarding vaccines, their development, their safety, and their effectiveness. I was wondering what else I could personally do to help encourage more people to become vaccinated. My father, Don, was a prolific letter writer, and so I thought a letter writing campaign to local churches would be a good idea. I believe church leaders have a respected and powerful voice among their congregations, and I think generally people that attend and identify with a church understand the need to protect our communities and work together for the safety and benefit of all.
Tom’s father, Don Welge, passed away due to COVID-19 in April 2020.
Welge understands the topic of vaccination causes a wide range of opinion.
“I also realize that vaccines are a controversial subject to some people, but as I stated, it’s in times of controversy and uncertainty that leadership is most needed,” he said.

The letter was sent to approximately 60 churches in Perry County and Randolph County, Ill.
As of Monday, Aug. 16, Welge said he had not heard back directly from anyone yet regarding his letter.
“That’s fine,” he said. “My primary goal was to try and enlist the full support of our local church leaders in the fight against Covid-19.”
Pastor Kevin Barron, who serves the United Methodist Church of Perryville and Crossroads United Methodist Church in Bollinger County, plans to post a copy of Welge’s letter on his churches’ bulletin boards.
“I appreciate his input and his passion,” Barron said of Welge’s letter. “He’s closer to it than I am.”
Barron summarized the letter from Welge as encouraging pastors to take a stand on what they need to be doing to promote safety.
“It’s a personal choice, and some have been told by their doctors to not get it for medical reasons,” Barron said.
Worshipers came back slowly last year after the shutdown, many with masks, according to Barron.
“With the Delta variant coming up, more are masking up,” he said. To his knowledge, no one from his churches has passed away from COVID-19, although he has had friends in other areas pass away from it. “John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, had a principle of do no harm,” Barron said. “I would certainly see getting a vaccination if at all possible as a Christian way of living by that principle.”