Illinois Baptist
Crisis = opportunity Nate Adams P. 2 Plus: Ministry ideas on page 5
Churches respond to Coronavirus threat After governor limits sizes of group meetings, and people begin staying home Illinois | Some are already calling it “the new normal,” but doing ministry in a time of social distancing, canceled group meetings, and intentional isolation is hardly normal. Church leaders awoke to this reality Sunday, March 15, after health officials announced the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outside the Chicago metro area, and urged limits on public groups larger than 50. For many churches, that meant canceling services, the possibility of an extended period of no public gatherings, and the need for alternative worship delivery methods. What remains unclear in this sudden escalation of the Coronavirus pandemic and its accompanying fears is what ministry will become when human contact is risky. With schools closed and restaurant service limited, pastors are asking hard questions about the kinds of ministry their churches might offer to their usual constituencies— the sick, home bound, and children. And how safe is it? Many IBSA churches joined congregations around the world in going online March 15 in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. “For precautionary reasons, all services from March 15 to March 21 have been canceled,” Rochester First Baptist Church posted on its Facebook page. The Springfield-area congregation, like many in the region, had been planning to hold in-person services until health officials announced Sangamon County’s first confirmed cases of COVID-19 on March 14.
News journal of the Illinois Baptist State Association
MARCH 23, 2019
IBSA Schedule Changes All IBSA events through March 31 are postponed, including: Children’s Missions Day 3/21 VBS Clinic 3/28 Training Night 3/31 Church groups’ visits to IBSA camps are canceled through April 30. Churches are now likely to limit gatherings for much longer than a week, after a recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urging Americans not to gather in groups of 50 or more for eight weeks. Previously, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker had announced a ban on all public events over 1,000 people until May 1. The stricter guidelines from the CDC will force many churches to consider how several weeks of no in-person meetings will impact giving, fellowship, and mission.
Priority Annual Women’s Conference has not been changed as of press time, although the situation is fluid. Online alternatives are being explored. Check IBSA.org.
P. 3
in focus
WISDOM
C.S. Lewis
The lion, the witch, and the germaphobe P. 4
Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Peoria, Illinois Permit No. 325
Vol. 114 No. 5
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Witnessing aloud
City admits limitations illegal P. 6
Take up your cross A reflection for the Easter season. P. 11
REAL LIFE
Man’s best friend
Tennessee watchdog is a lifesaver P. 10
IB
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