Churches who closed doors during Covid

[Reynolds]

I heard a pastor of an extremely fundamental Baptist Mega church addressing this. He didnt close, though state and county required it. He brought up a point that got me thinking and I agree with him. Shepherds who shut their doors and did virtual during the pandemic consented to and agreed with Church being "non-essential." If your pastor and leaders consent to your churcgh being "non-essential" , why go back? Our pastors failed. Our leadership failed. The left burned the firewall known as the church with a single match. Exposes the spinelessness and non-willingness of our leaders to fight. The sheep may have wanted to run, scatter, and hide. Its the duty of the Shepherd to....well.....Shepherd!

 

[Deacon]

Totally off the mark!
The church is essential.
The church is not a building. Close the doors of the church building and the church still exists.
The church is its people.

The pandemic effects regions differently, so the response by the congregation leadership differs by region.
For some churches in rural areas the virus was not as big a problem as some thought it might be (although the response may delayed as the fast spreading virus is now reaching some of those areas).

Those pastors that closed the doors of their buildings took into account many factors and decided on the one they thought best protected their flock.

Many of the pastors and leaders who closed the doors of their buildings continued their ministry using other avenues to connect with those to whom they minister.

For some that were able and prepared, the change in ministry style worked well.
Some congregational leaders were unable or unwilling to effect a change and decided to stay the course and to continue as usual.
And I understand the decision with little bias; some congregations are not as tech savvy or financially blessed as others.

A Shepherd protects his flock, every flock is different - the response should vary as well.
Calling pastors and leaders who disagree with your assessment names like "spineless and unwilling" seems wolfish to me - your post was a flame.

Rob

 

[evenifigoalone]

My church never closed services altogether. We are doing online streaming, drive-in services, etc. Just not regular, meet-in-sanctuary services.

 

[Reynolds]

Totally off the mark!
The church is essential.
The church is not a building. Close the doors of the church building and the church still exists.
The church is its people.

The pandemic effects regions differently, so the response by the congregation leadership differs by region.
For some churches in rural areas the virus was not as big a problem as some thought it might be (although the response may delayed as the fast spreading virus is now reaching some of those areas).

Those pastors that closed the doors of their buildings took into account many factors and decided on the one they thought best protected their flock.

Many of the pastors and leaders who closed the doors of their buildings continued their ministry using other avenues to connect with those to whom they minister.

For some that were able and prepared, the change in ministry style worked well.
Some congregational leaders were unable or unwilling to effect a change and decided to stay the course and to continue as usual.
And I understand the decision with little bias; some congregations are not as tech savvy or financially blessed as others.

A Shepherd protects his flock, every flock is different - the response should vary as well.
Calling pastors and leaders who disagree with your assessment names like "spineless and unwilling" seems wolfish to me - your post was a flame.

Rob

Southern, you seemed in person services "non-essential."
This pastor was in the hot bed of Covid.

 

[Deacon]

Southern, you seemed in person services "non-essential."
This pastor was in the hot bed of Covid.

Im not sure I understand you.

I live in a high exposure area between D.C. and NYC. My church closed for a brief while, then transitioned into outdoor services. The outdoor services brought in many new families and new converts.
As the weather cooled we went indoors.
Two services keep the numbers lower for each service. We use chairs rather than pews so we spaced families apart.

This week it was reported that a volunteer (perhaps a few volunteers) that served in both services, had contracted the virus.
In response we closed our doors of the building and will briefly return to online only services through Thanksgiving.

The medical facility where I work follows the CDC guidelines. We aggressively screen all patients and many of us wear full protective gear. We are at high risk of catching and spreading the virus.
I don’t attend in-person services for these reasons.

Rob

 

[Reynolds]

Im not sure I understand you.

I live in a high exposure area between D.C. and NYC. My church closed for a brief while, then transitioned into outdoor services. The outdoor services brought in many new families and new converts.
As the weather cooled we went indoors.
Two services keep the numbers lower for each service. We use chairs rather than pews so we spaced families apart.

This week it was reported that a volunteer (perhaps a few volunteers) that served in both services, had contracted the virus.
In response we closed our doors of the building and will briefly return to online only services through Thanksgiving.

The medical facility where I work follows the CDC guidelines. We aggressively screen all patients and many of us wear full protective gear. We are at high risk of catching and spreading the virus.
I don’t attend in-person services for these reasons.

Rob

So, In person Church truly is "non_essential"?

 

[Scarlett O.]

Our church had virtual services and had three to four times the people viewing the services than in attendance in quite a while.

We do NOT deem inside church services as non-essential. We had a rash of Covid in the church membership [about 25 - 20% of those who come]. with a few of those people in the hospital. We have been back since June and we are having another rash again.

I am being tested at 5:50 today. I was exposed, along with the choir by the choir director Wednesday night and he was probably contagious last Sunday he says. He took his symptoms to be a sinus infection, but it was Covid.

My symptoms are hacking cough, fever, and I feel like crap. Hopefully, it's not Covid.

Just because churches participate in on-line or parking lot services in lieu of inside services when a flush of illness is going on does NOT make the church view inside services as non-essential.

It means the people of God CONTINUE the preaching of the Word in other forms available and take precautions not to spread any sickness.

 

[Deacon]

So, In person Church truly is "non_essential"?

I’d call in person services important but certainly not absolutely necessary particularly in this age of FaceTime.

For those that cannot meet on-line I would call it extremely important but it needs to be balanced with the risks associated with each individual.

Rob

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

... He took his symptoms to be a sinus infection, but it was Covid. ...

 

[Squire Robertsson]

I’d call in-person services important but certainly not absolutely necessary particularly in this age of FaceTime.

For those that cannot meet on-line, I would call it extremely important but it needs to be balanced with the risks associated with each individual.

Rob

I know of one church (IFB) in San Francisco which pre-Covid ran around 150-200 on a Sunday AM. It's been running 500+ with the live stream and time shifts.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Our church had virtual services and had three to four times the people viewing the services than in attendance in quite a while.

We do NOT deem inside church services as non-essential. We had a rash of Covid in the church membership [about 25 - 20% of those who come]. with a few of those people in the hospital. We have been back since June and we are having another rash again.

I am being tested at 5:50 today. I was exposed, along with the choir by the choir director Wednesday night and he was probably contagious last Sunday he says. He took his symptoms to be a sinus infection, but it was Covid.

My symptoms are hacking cough, fever, and I feel like crap. Hopefully, it's not Covid.

Just because churches participate in on-line or parking lot services in lieu of inside services when a flush of illness is going on does NOT make the church view inside services as non-essential.

It means the people of God CONTINUE the preaching of the Word in other forms available and take precautions not to spread any sickness.

Similar sitch at my church. We cautiously allowed a few people into the sanctuary late this summer, so long as they wore masks and social distanced. We stopped that after several members caught COVID, and are back to online and outside services only.
From what I can tell we're one of the only churches in the area actually taking these precautions. My mom's church had their pastor catch COVID (he recovered), and they're still doing regular services.

 

[kathleenmariekg]

This is a large country with great diversity in cultures and geography and ARCHITECTURE. If nothing else, in certain areas, the homes of parishioners and their modes of travel spreads the virus faster than the architecture and modes of travel in other areas. Slowing the spread in a city with high-rises with elevators and subways that bottleneck people into tight quarters is as impossible as stopping a wildfire in a area that experiences drought.

Should a pastor hold church the day a wildfire is sweeping the area? Or is canceling attendance in THAT building THAT day, making a general statement that in-person gathering of the saints isn't an essential part of the church.

During this pandemic, have you spent any real time in a densely packed city, particularly an area that includes people living in poverty, to see what is REALLY happening there, instead of the propaganda and edutainment that is being played by the mainstream media?

This is a public forum. I need to be careful not to out other people that I interact with when I write here. Yes, I am "vague" sometimes. That is out of love and respect for people that I know and love.

God is in control and using this mess to further his agenda. He is working with individual people and individual churches individually. There is no one-size-fits-all in this big country. I flew from one side, almost to the other, and WOW, things are different in different places. And God is in all those places.

 

[kathleenmariekg]

I am being tested at 5:50 today. I was exposed, along with the choir by the choir director Wednesday night and he was probably contagious last Sunday he says. He took his symptoms to be a sinus infection, but it was Covid.

My symptoms are hacking cough, fever, and I feel like crap. Hopefully, it's not Covid.

Scarlett O, are you okay?!!!!!

 

[Revmitchell]

The church gathering together in one place to worship together is essential.

 

[Deacon]

The church gathering together in one place to worship together is essential.

Your argument is less than convincing.

Rob

 

[Revmitchell]

Your argument is less than convincing.

Rob

Oh, well, try this on for size:

Hebrews 10:25

Just as our constitution is not suspended during an epidemic much, much more important is the fact that biblical commands and principles are not suspended during an epidemic.

 

[just-want-peace]

A Christian is NOT supposed to have a spirit of FEAR, but it's opposite, FAITH!!! Using reasonable precautions is not FEAR, but FAITH which includes "common sense". Post #12 states: "There is no one-size-fits-all in this big country." Ergo, different strokes for different folks.
I'm just waiting for my pastor to announce "----that all services (SS & Worship) will resume as normal, & if you are uncomfortable with this, watch streaming or radio. Masks optional!"
Now SS classes are split to meet every other Sunday, & masks required in worship. SS is distanced, so when the milling around is over & class starts, off comes the mask; then go home & listen to sermon on radio!
I would think that by now most people would realize the obvious political agenda of the dems, and act accordingly, but
F E A R seems to control an awful lot of people.
'Course if I think it's bad now, just wait until the dems are in control.

 

[Deacon]

Oh, well, try this on for size:

Hebrews 10:25

Just as our constitution is not suspended during an epidemic much, much more important is the fact that biblical commands and principles are not suspended during an epidemic.

Odd that you mentioned the church constitution.
My church had to amend a part of ours to allow members who attended our business meeting remotely to be allowed to vote.

Hebrew 10:25 certainly encouraged Christians to gather, it does not lay out how often; is once a week good enough.
Am I sinning if I miss Wednesday's gathering?
How about the pray meeting, essential?, mandatory?
How about those that have jobs that require them to work weekends? Should nurses and doctors leave the hospitals on Sunday mornings to attend services?

REASONS WHY REMOTE CHURCH IS AGAINST SCRIPTURE

10. Jesus never Zoomed but when needed to get somewhere he got there immediately,

9. To gossip and to Twitter is considered a sin.

8. The apostles walked or took a boat to their gathering place: they never used computers to worship remotely.

7. The disciples didn’t sit at home but used all available meant to travel to church (even driving Honda’s, Acts 2:1 KJV)

6. When imprisoned Paul must have been given an Imperial waver that allowed him to go to his place of worship on Sundays. The Scriptures never say he phoned in absent.

5. Christians enthusiastically gathered together in the Roman Colosseum to worship, so as to not forsake worship.

4. Facebook is two completely different words in the original Greek and they are never found together.

3.

2,

1,

Rob

 

[Revmitchell]

Odd that you mentioned the church constitution.
My church had to amend a part of ours to allow members who attended our business meeting remotely to be allowed to vote.

Hebrew 10:25 certainly encouraged Christians to gather, it does not lay out how often; is once a week good enough.
Am I sinning if I miss Wednesday's gathering?
How about the pray meeting, essential?, mandatory?
How about those that have jobs that require them to work weekends? Should nurses and doctors leave the hospitals on Sunday mornings to attend services?

REASONS WHY REMOTE CHURCH IS AGAINST SCRIPTURE

10. Jesus never Zoomed but when needed to get somewhere he got there immediately,

9. To gossip and to Twitter is considered a sin.

8. The apostles walked or took a boat to their gathering place: they never used computers to worship remotely.

7. The disciples didn’t sit at home but used all available meant to travel to church (even driving Honda’s, Acts 2:1 KJV)

6. When imprisoned Paul must have been given an Imperial waver that allowed him to go to his place of worship on Sundays. The Scriptures never say he phoned in absent.

5. Christians enthusiastically gathered together in the Roman Colosseum to worship, so as to not forsake worship.

4. Facebook is two completely different words in the original Greek and they are never found together.

3.

2,

1,

Rob

Never mentioned the church constitution. I was talking about the US constitution. The rest of your post is just muddying the waters.

 

[Yeshua1]

I heard a pastor of an extremely fundamental Baptist Mega church addressing this. He didnt close, though state and county required it. He brought up a point that got me thinking and I agree with him. Shepherds who shut their doors and did virtual during the pandemic consented to and agreed with Church being "non-essential." If your pastor and leaders consent to your churcgh being "non-essential" , why go back? Our pastors failed. Our leadership failed. The left burned the firewall known as the church with a single match. Exposes the spinelessness and non-willingness of our leaders to fight. The sheep may have wanted to run, scatter, and hide. Its the duty of the Shepherd to....well.....Shepherd!

Mi just went back to a 3 week total shutdown, so we are online only next 2 weeks