As the US outlook around the coronavirus pandemic changes day by day, pastors are quickly adjusting their expectations about how the disruptions will impact their ministry.

Oregon pastor Tyler Braun explained that “on top of just navigating the right-now urgency of how to pivot”—the push to move services and giving and small groups online—pastors are grappling with the inevitable fallout on their members and community.

At New Harvest Church, where he leads worship and family ministries, Braun worries people will be forced to experience grief in isolation, lose out on finances, and face the coronavirus restrictions “well into the summer.”

A new survey by Barna Research found over the course of just a week, most church leaders went from thinking they’d be back to meeting as usual in late or March or April (52%), to projecting the changes would extend to May or longer (68%).

“There is this realism that’s setting in,” said David Kinnaman, Barna Group president.

But while most pastors are realistic, they’re also optimistic, according to Kinnaman. “One of the cool things about pastors we’ve learned over the years is that they are by job description and by disposition more upbeat, positive, hope-filled people,” he said. “So they are often pretty capable of putting a good face in a tough situation, and they, like other leaders, are going to face a lot of tough decisions in the coming weeks as the crisis continues.”

Though most had already called off normal activities at church, pastors also implemented swift changes in policies around smaller group meetings over the past several days.

The percentage who still allow the church building to be used for “small meetings and gatherings” has dropped by about half (from 18% to 8%), according to Barna’s Church Pulse survey, hearing from 434 Protestant senior pastors and executive pastors in the US. A plurality say the church staff will be working remotely for the foreseeable future (up from 25% to 40%).

The question of restrictions (not just for worship but also staff meetings, Bible studies, even the group assembled to livestream services) has been an urgent one for pastors as more stories emerge of coronavirus spreading in church settings like choir practices and funerals.

A recent poll conducted by Denison University political scientist Paul Djupe and two fellow researchers found as many as 17 percent of US worshipers across traditions were still attending in-person gatherings of some sort as of early last week.

Compared to other traditions, evangelicals weren’t significantly more likely to say their churches were still open, but those who also ascribe to the prosperity gospel do have stronger feelings against churches closing to comply with government orders, a case which played out in Tampa on Monday. Nearly half of evangelicals with prosperity gospel beliefs agreed that “freedom to worship is too important to close in-person religious services due to the coronavirus even if more people die as a result.”

Source: Christianity Today

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

The novel coronavirus pandemic is the “result” of sin that exists in a “fallen world” that has “turned its back on God,” conservative evangelical leader Franklin Graham said. 

Graham, president of the Christian humanitarian organization Samaritan’s Purse, spoke with Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro on Saturday for an interview that mostly focused on the emergency field hospital Samaritan’s Purse is operating in New York City’s Central Park.

In New York City, there are over 67,551 confirmed cases of the virus with over 3,048 related deaths as of Monday afternoon, according to statistics compiled by Johns Hopkins University & Medicine. Nationally, there are over 338,995 cases of coronavirus with over 10,000 deaths, and over 1.3 million cases and 72,638 related deaths worldwide.

“This pandemic, this is a result of a fallen world, a world that has turned its back on God,” Graham said in the interview. “So I would encourage people to pray and let’s ask God for help.”

Toward the end of the interview, Graham, the son of the late evangelist Billy Graham, was asked by Pirro if he gets questions from a lot of people wondering: “Why would God allow this kind of thing to happen?”

“I don’t think that God planned for this to happen,” he responded. “It’s because of the sin that’s in the world. Man has turned his back against God. We have sinned against Him. We need to ask for God’s forgiveness.”

“That’s what Easter is all about it,” Graham, who also leads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, continued. “It’s about God so loving the world that He gave His only begotten son so that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but should have everlasting life.”

He assured that “Christ came to save sinners” and “save the world.”

“If we put our faith and trust in Him, He’ll forgive our sins and heal our hearts and He’ll change the course of our lives,” Graham added.

The evangelist has long warned that sin is being glorified in American society and that God’s judgment could be coming for embracing things like same-sex marriage or abortion. During the 2016 election cycle, Graham held “Decision America” tour rallies across the United States to encourage people to let biblical values inspire their votes.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Samuel Smith

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

LONDON (AP) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to the intensive care unit of a London hospital after his coronavirus symptoms worsened Monday, just a day after he was admitted for what were said to be routine tests.

Johnson was admitted to St. Thomas’ Hospital late Sunday, 10 days after he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

“Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the Prime Minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital,” his office said in a statement.

Downing St. said Johnson was conscious and does not require ventilation at the moment, but was in the intensive care unit in case he needed it later.

It said Johnson has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputize for him.

Hours earlier, Johnson tweeted that he was in good spirits after spending a night in the hospital.

The prime minister’s spokesman said Johnson had spent a comfortable night and remained in charge of government despite being admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital after COVID-19 symptoms of a cough and fever persisted.

Johnson sent out a tweet thanking the National Health Service for taking care of him and others in this difficult time.

“On the advice of my doctor, I went into the hospital for some routine tests as I’m still experiencing coronavirus symptoms,” Johnson said in the tweet. “I’m in good spirits and keeping in touch with my team, as we work together to fight this virus and keep everyone safe.”.

Johnson’s spokesman, James Slack, refused to say what kind of tests Johnson was undergoing. He insisted that “the PM remains in charge of the government.”

“He is receiving updates in hospital and is continuing to receive a (ministerial red) box” of files and briefing papers, Slack said,

The 55-year-old leader had been quarantined in his Downing Street residence since being diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 26 – the first known head of government to fall ill with the virus.

He continued to preside at daily meetings on the outbreak until Sunday and has released several video messages during his 10 days in isolation. Raab chaired the meeting Monday.

Britain has no official post of deputy prime minister, but Raab has been designated to take over should Johnson become incapacitated.

Speaking at the government’s daily coronavirus press briefing, Raab said Johnson was being “regularly updated,” but admitted he had not spoken to him since Saturday.

“He’s in charge, but he’ll continue to take doctors’ advice on what to do next,” Raab said.

Johnson was admitted to the hospital as a message to the nation from Queen Elizabeth II was being broadcast Sunday evening. The 93-year-old monarch urged the public to show resolve and follow advice to stay inside.

Concerns had been growing about Johnson’s welfare ever since he posted a message Friday saying that he was feeling better, though he was still feverish. 

The virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most people, but for some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause pneumonia and lead to death.

The government said Monday that 51,608 people had been confirmed to have the coronavirus in Britain, 5,373 of whom have died.

One of the advantages of being in the hospital is that it will allow doctors to directly monitor Johnson’s condition. 

Derek Hill, a professor of medical imaging science at University College London said that since COVID-19 causes difficulty breathing, one test performed on people with the disease is lung imaging with ultrasound or CT scans to see how badly they might be affected.

“Some people are rapidly discharged,’’ he said. “Some others can quickly deteriorate and need help breathing. We have no reason to believe the PM needs such help.‘’

Hill said there are various types of breathing help, depending on the person and the difficulties.

“The reasons some people get seriously ill with COVID-19 while others have minor symptoms is not yet fully understood,″ Hill said. “But doctors managing these patients report that more men than women have serious problems, and patients who are overweight or have previous health problems are at higher risk.”

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 

FOR CBN NEWS CONTINUING COVERAGE ON COVID-19, CLICK HERE. 

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

… Read More

Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.

قالب وردپرس

After almost two weeks of government-advised physical distancing, the President has announced a 30-day extension to this part of the fight against the coronavirus. As various numbers associated with this pandemic continue to grow, especially the shocking prediction that U.S. deaths could top 100,000, we must never forget that behind each and every number is a precious life made in the image of God. Numbers are necessary to communicate scale, of course, but they can also obscure that what we’re talking about here are real people.

Speaking of numbers and names, over three million Americans have filed for unemployment in recent weeks. Combine that with the volatile stock market, and the economic toll of this virus is beyond staggering. Still, behind these dollar figures are also real people, many trying to figure out how to keep their homes and feed their kids.

A one-time check from the government won’t be enough for restaurant and small business owners, hotel and shopping center employees, barbers and stylists, bus drivers and substitute teachers, and many others, who face a financial crisis if they practice social distance, potentially as real and damaging as the sickness they could acquire or spread if they do not.

The tension here is real, and I’m not talking about spring breakers who scoffed at the health and well-being of others to have their own fun or those spouting despicable “if they die, they die” sort of rhetoric. I’m talking about my friend Dale who, after contracting a particularly nasty bacteria during a routine surgery several months ago, would be at tremendous risk if he contracted this virus. He needs others to help slow the spread of this disease by staying home.

But I’m also talking about other friends, legal refugees from a war-torn area of Africa, who go to my church and rely on wages now lost because a local hotel closed until Memorial Day and fired its employees. Certainly, unemployment assistance will help for a while, but it’s impossible to know if their long-term security is now in jeopardy.

As more hospitals reach capacity and COVID-19 cases rise, our city, state, and federal leaders are making some of the hardest choices imaginable outside of wartime. While physical distancing is the most important thing we can do right now to slow this virus and save additional lives, the consequences of doing this will be devastating for many.

Now, I’m in no place to offer different policy solutions, of course, but I am convinced that a Christian worldview can help us think through these tensions.

SOURCE: Christian Post, John Stonestreet and G. Shane Morris

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

By now you’ve seen the prediction that the US death toll from COVID-19 could rise above 100,000 people. We could see 2,214 deaths a day at the nation’s peak in two weeks.

One of the most difficult dimensions of this disease is the degree to which it can be transmitted by people who show no symptoms.

The director of the CDC was asked this week if his agency has learned anything new about the virus in recent weeks. He stated that “a significant number of individuals that are infected remain asymptomatic. That may be as many as 25 percent. That’s important, because now you have individuals that may not have any symptoms that can contribute to transmission, and we have learned that in fact they do contribute to transmission.”

He added that those who develop symptoms are “shedding significant virus . . . probably up to forty-eight hours before [they] show symptoms.”

In other words, every person we meet could infect us with a deadly virus, whether they know it or not. And we could have the virus while being asymptomatic and infect others.

I am not aware of an analogous medical condition to this. More Americans die from heart disease and cancer than any other causes. However, neither can be “caught” from someone who doesn’t know they have the condition.

To find an historical parallel, we need to go back more than a century.

“Fear moved ahead of the virus” 

According to the CDC, “The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history.” It is estimated that around 500 million people—one-third of the world’s population—became infected with the virus. The number of deaths is estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide, with about 675,000 in the US.

In The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, John Barry describes the 1918 outbreak as a pandemic that “would kill more people than any other outbreak of disease in human history.” He notes that the influenza’s victims “died with extraordinary ferocity and speed.”

According to Barry, “In 1918 fear moved ahead of the virus like the bow wave before a ship. Fear drove the people, and the government and the press could not control it.” He notes, “Terror rises in the dark of the mind, in the unknown beast tracking us in the jungle. The fear of the dark is an almost physical manifestation of that. Horror movies build up the fear of the unknown, the uncertain threat that we cannot see and do not know and can find no safe haven from.”

However, as he adds, “In every horror movie, once the monster appears, terror condenses into the concrete and diminishes. Fear remains. But the edge of panic created by the unknown dissipates.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Jim Denison

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source