How Is The Church Faring During The Covid-19 Crisis?

How did the pandemic erupt so quickly? The online periodical, The Economist, reminded us on March 15, 2020, “It is no surprise that the industry clobbered hardest by the covid-19 pandemic [the airline industry] is the one responsible for helping spread it to the four corners of the Earth.” Human travel by intercontinental airlines aided nature in spreading the disease.

Businesses closed and people were laid off, or furloughed as some were called. Stores closed, hoping not to go bankrupt. Industry slowed way down. Wall Street took several waves of big hits. The touring industry nearly shut down. Congress is kicking out (creating?) over 2 trillion dollars — could be $3 trillion or more by the time this is over — to save our economy. Will it work? Only time will tell.

With hundreds of thousands of people getting sick, and many thousands dying, people want to know if this was a natural disaster or if it was man- made. Different stories have made the rounds, primarily because of the initial reports we heard from our own national news stations. Of course, they changed their story several times.

Some think this is judgment because of personal and national sin. Perhaps. But the virus is all around the world.

Local churches have been temporarily closed as they cooperate in efforts to slow down the spread of the disease. It seems that the virus is no respecter of persons, places, or things. And as we quarantine people with measles, flu, meningitis, MRSA, and the like, we should quarantine those with covid-19.

Carol and I are cooperating with the authorities by canceling our travel plans and isolating ourselves as much as possible. No, we’re not afraid. But if the virus begins breaking out here in town, we don’t want people to blame us. Therefore, I am limiting my socializing primarily to phone, text, Facebook and email.

But another question some people ask: How’s the church faring?

Many churches with Wi-Fi and internet capability are live-streaming their services. That’s creative, and very few people are needed to broadcast the meeting. If the entire service is live, some music leaders sing solos, and the pastor essentially becomes a television-preacher.

I like what Southwest Baptist Church in Oklahoma City does: they edit in congregational singing from past meetings, then my friend Pastor Jason Gaddis preaches a live message. That is effective and inspirational.

I was communicating with Dr. John Leffler, pastor of Castle Rock Christian Church in Castle Rock, Wash. For you geographically challenged people, Castle Rock is just to the west of I-5, situated about 55 miles north of Portland, Ore., and about 51 miles (by road) west of Mt. St. Helens.

I met Dr. Leffler (“Just call me John” he said.) on our last year-long trip, and we became friends. Several days ago, John and I were discussing the situation related to covid-19, and how the church was forced to operate in a different format. John began to make a statement, but had a revelation in mid-sentence. He said, “I don’t think the church was created to work like this…. Or maybe it WAS, now that I think about the persecuted church.”

I responded, “You touched it right on the noggin, John.”

We didn’t mean with the internet and all the accompanying electronics, but in the sense that the church was restricted from meeting together.

The early church primarily met in small groups in homes. God intended the pastor (also called bishop, presbyter, shepherd, and overseer) to be a personal friend to his flock. As the people began loving and trusting the pastor, more people would join and be nurtured by the teaching. Currently, as the flock becomes a large congregation, the pastor sometimes assumes the role of administrative, or corporation director. This often limits the role of personal, pastoral interaction, but John Leffler isn’t letting that happen in his church in Castle Rock.

Back to Pastor John’s thought.

The persecuted church was forced to find different forums of preaching the Good News. And today, because of the covid-19 virus, the church is in the same effective situation. When the early Christians were forced to scatter, they took the Gospel everywhere they went. Today, since we must temporarily not operate openly, we are finding modern ways to continue presenting Christ to the world.

How’s the church faring? The church is the Bride of Christ. Regardless of governmental regulations, diseases, or persecutions, the church will survive both now and throughout eternity.