International Offices Announces Re-Opening Plan
Cleveland, TN—The Church of God International Offices (i.e. Headquarters), shut down since mid-March due to Covid-19, has announced a soft re-opening beginning the week of May 3-9, 2020.
General Overseer Tim Hill informed the International Offices family via a Zoom conference call on Friday, May 1 of the plan to open the doors on Wednesday, May 6 with limited hours of 9:00 am – 3:00 pm EST. He announced the remainder of the week’s schedule as follows:
Thursday, May 7, 9:00am – 3:00pm, and Friday, May 8, 9:00 – 12:00 noon. For the weeks to follow, the schedule will be: Monday – closed, Tuesday – Thursday, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, and Friday, 9:00 – 12:00 noon.
Hill explained that Headquarters is primarily following the guidelines set out by the State of Tennessee for office settings. The plan will be in place until the state moves to “Phase 2” of re-opening.
Along with the limited hours, it was announced that several procedures have been adopted and resources provided to navigate the re-opening process. The Operations Team at Headquarters will be sanitizing the campus daily in the hours the employees are out, through disinfecting public spaces, doorknobs, and other surfaces. Gathering areas, such as break rooms, will remain closed off. Hand sanitizing stations have been placed at main entrances, and safety posters throughout the buildings will be prominently displayed.
During the Zoom Conference, Cleveland Mayor Kevin Brooks announced that gloves, masks, and personal hand sanitizers will be awaiting every employee when they return to their desks and work stations. Brooks announced that all items were donated. Gloves were provided by Men and Women of Action, cloth face masks were from God’s Pit Crew, and cans of spray hand sanitizer were donated by local manufacturer, Beiersdorf.
Brooks chaired a committee appointed by General Overseer Hill to develop the plan for re-opening. The committee included a representative from each of the three buildings on the Headquarters campus. The committee’s recommendations were brought before the Executive Committee for approval before Friday’s announcement. In addition to serving as Cleveland’s mayor, Brooks serves Church of God headquarters as Agent of Record.
As a final safety precaution, visitors to Headquarters during this period will be asked to call ahead for an appointment, and then check in with security personnel.
