NASHVILLE (BP) — This time a year ago, Tom Tucker, a revivalist and evangelist based out of Rock Hill, S.C., had speaking engagements booked on all but one Sunday. This spring, Tucker’s calendar is empty — all of his plans for the next two months have been suddenly canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For Tucker and others who make their full-time living on the road, preaching the Gospel at various events, conferences and churches, the nationwide shutdown of gatherings is especially financially detrimental.
Just two weeks ago, Tucker was driving home after speaking at multiple church services. His entire spring schedule was filled. But it only took hours for the cancellations to begin rolling in as the government issued guidelines for social distancing and restrictions on gatherings.
“I knew then that pastors would be calling me, and they did,” Tucker said, “and everything was canceled.”
Bill Britt, president of Compel Outreach International in Haughton, La., echoed Tucker’s sentiment.
“Just a few weeks ago, no one would have remotely understood what was about to happen around the world,” Britt said.
Britt, whose organization has had events canceled all across the U.S. and other countries, said evangelists find themselves in a period of waiting. No one knows when travel — and beyond that, speaking engagements — will resume.
Gary Bowlin, president of the Louisiana Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists, said COVID-19 came at the worst time for evangelists.
“Our revivals and events have been canceled during one of our busiest times of the year,” Bowlin said.
“We’re all in a holding pattern,” Tucker added.
Tucker began his ministry as a full-time evangelist only a year ago. He said it took a lot of trust to surrender his life to that call. But as the effects of COVID-19 came to fruition, Tucker found himself asking God what was happening.
“When all this stuff started happening, I said ‘Lord what are you doing? This is what you called us to do,’” Tucker said.
The nationwide shutdown not only eliminates the evangelist’s travel and ministry, but his income. Bowlin noted that many evangelists rely on love offerings and don’t have guaranteed salaries. Britt said the cancellation of spring events could mean the loss of the majority of an evangelist’s income.
“As long as churches are not meeting, then the evangelists are receiving no love offerings from these churches,” Britt said. “The evangelist receives the bulk or all of his income through these events where he is scheduled to minister. Even if the shutdown lasts another six to eight weeks, that will mean no income for the evangelist for months. This could be devastating for many ministries across the country.”
Source: Baptist Press
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