COVID-19 Archives - Baptist & Reflector

LONG DAYS FOR LEADERS

February 17, 2021

Pastors express ‘decision fatigue’ and ‘ministerial frustration’ as COVID-19 pandemic lingers

By Diana Chandler
Baptist Press

Members listen to Pastor Richard Bray’s sermon via an FM transmitter while sitting in their cars in the parking lot of Rock Hill Baptist Church in Lexington, Tenn., in April 2020.

LEXINGTON — For the second time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Rock Hill Baptist Church in rural west Tennessee was resuming onsite worship. Then, Pastor Richard Bray was exposed to the virus and the church had to transition once again to remote worship while Bray waited weeks for his test results.

Bray became a one-man worship service team – preaching, leading music with his guitar, recording the service on his phone, handling the sound equipment, broadcasting the service via an FM transmitter to worshipers who listened in their cars in the parking lot, and uploading videos to YouTube, Facebook and the church website after service ended. That was his routine from mid-July to mid-September.

“I think I was tired, just physically and mentally,” Bray said months later. “Tired of dealing with all the issues, the stress of COVID, the stress of trying to do the right thing, the stress of the church members who see things differently than you do. It does take its toll.”

Joe Wright addresses the struggles of many pastors as executive director of the Bivocational and Small Church Leadership Network designed to serve about 83 percent of Southern Baptist churches. [Read more…]

CHURCHES TURNING TO ‘ONLINE PASTORS’ TO FOSTER COMMUNITY DURING PANDEMIC

February 15, 2021

By Scott Barkley
Baptist Press

A volunteer at Long Hollow Baptist Church talks with others over Zoom during its prayer service Jan. 19. Church leaders say technology has played a key role during the revival the church has experienced over the last month, allowing many to take part from long distances as well as become part of Long Hollow’s discipleship process afterwards.

HENDERSONVILLE — Since Long Hollow Baptist Church began experiencing what pastor Robby Gallaty calls “a genuine move of God” last month, roughly 300 people have traveled to its Tennessee campus from all over the country to be baptized.

One group came forward – some scheduled, others spontaneously – at the church’s first Tuesday prayer service on Jan. 19, which lasted more than two hours. Twenty-two more were signed up for baptism for a Sunday in late January, the first time Long Hollow will have worshiped in person in a month.

The path for many didn’t originate in north Tennessee. Like an overwhelming number of churches, Long Hollow has increased its online capabilities over the last year due to COVID-19. During its current revival, baptismal candidates have included brothers – one in Montana, the other in North Carolina; a woman who drove from Tampa, Fla.; a man from Memphis; and a couple who traveled 100 miles from Kentucky. One man who lived down the street from Gallaty when the two were children started watching online and drove to Hendersonville from New Orleans to be baptized. In another instance, a former Satan worshiper brought his friend, who soon joined that label of “former” Satan worshipper. All became familiar with Long Hollow initially through a screen.

“It’s a new day for technology and we’re trying to figure out how to use it for God’s glory,” Gallaty said. [Read more…]

PANDEMIC DIVISION CAUSING PASTORS TO LEAVE MINISTRY, PASTORAL MENTOR SAYS

February 11, 2021

By Diana Chandler
Baptist Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Brian Croft jokes that masks are the new “color of the carpet argument” in churches, with similarly poor outcomes. Pastors are resigning from the stress “kind of in a way I’ve never really seen.”

The founder of Practical Shepherding transitioned from fulltime pastoring to lead the shepherding outreach fulltime in January, pulled by a need for coaching and counseling that has steadily increased among pastors over the past decade.

Then came COVID-19.

“I know of pastors who are quitting just over the stress of this issue and what it’s causing in their churches, and I know churches splitting over whether you should wear a mask or not,” Croft said. “COVID has impacted every pastor to some degree. Usually it has brought more challenges and more difficulty.”

Pastors are pulled by conflicting views among congregants over whether to mask or not to mask, whether to meet in person or virtually, or whether social distancing is even necessary. A divisive political year has compounded the issues, Croft said. [Read more…]

WITH COVID, A CUP OF SOUP IS A HUGE GIFT

February 4, 2021

By Bruce Chesser
President, Tennessee Baptist Convention
Senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Hendersonville

On Nov. 20, 2020, I was conducting a wedding rehearsal in southern Kentucky. The plans for the wedding had changed significantly. It had gone from a large celebration of several hundred family and friends to a very small gathering of just family.

We wanted to be as responsible as possible and follow all of the proper protocols. But we still needed to rehearse what would happen the next day during the ceremony.

After the rehearsal had concluded I began to feel a little strange. On the drive home my wife mentioned that the skunk odor that had just invaded our truck was a very putrid smell. I said, “you smell a skunk right now?” She looked at me kind of sideways and said, “yes, it’s awful. Can’t you smell it?” My honest answer to the question was, “uh-oh. No, I cannot.”

That began our journey into the world of COVID-19 which would last 24 days. By the next morning I was running a fever of about 101 which would last for the next 12 days. Taste and smell were gone. I felt like I had the flu. [Read more…]

GOVERNOR ENCOURAGES CHURCHES TO CONSIDER ONLINE SERVICES

December 21, 2020

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

Tennessee Gov. Lee, seen here at his desk, issued an executive order on Dec. 20 concerning the increase in COVID cases.
— Screen capture from Facebook

NASHVILLE — As COVID-19 cases continue to rise dramatically in Tennessee, Governor Bill Lee issued an executive order Dec. 20 declaring “a continuing state of emergency and major disaster in order to facilitate the response to COVID-19.”

According to latest statistics from the Center for Disease Control, Tennessee now ranks as the worst state for new COVID-19 cases in the United States.

WSMV-TV in Nashville reported Dec. 21 that Tennessee’s daily cases per 100k over the last seven days sits at 128.1, just ahead of Texas which follows at 125.6. “Tennessee is now ground zero for a surge in sickness,” Lee observed.

During a statewide address on Dec. 20, Lee exhorted Tennesseans to “make some hard decisions.” He noted 10,000 Tennesseans are getting sick every day and 100 people are dying daily from COVID. “We are in a war. With the arrival of the first vaccine, we have launched an offensive that will end this war, but the next few weeks will be critical,” Lee stressed.

He encouraged Tennesseans to not gather with people outside their households. In his executive order, he limited indoor public gatherings to no more than 10 people. [Read more…]

CLEARVIEW STAYS ‘ON THE GO’ DURING PANDEMIC

December 10, 2020

By David Dawson
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

Packed with diapers and other items, this car is one of many vehicles being used for deliveries as part of ClearView Baptist’s community ministries during the pandemic.

FRANKLIN — From pumpkin pies to flip-flops to trash bags, ClearView Baptist Church, Franklin, is using all kinds of items to meet needs in the community.

Looking to make a difference in the lives of those who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, ClearView has joined forces with a host of local organizations to distribute food, household items, footwear and other things to those who need it most.

ClearView mission director Kim Margrave said the church has a heart for the community, and has been especially focused on making an impact for Christ during these challenging days.

“Our folks sincerely want to be a part of helping our community,” said Margrave. “We talk a lot here at ClearView about finding your purpose — what is it that God has put you on the planet for? So, it has been a great learning opportunity for us to find these needs and start being a part of the solution. At ClearView, we often say that missions is a person, not a project or an event on the calendar. ” [Read more…]

PERSONAL EVANGELISM: DON’T LET COVID-19 BECOME AN EXCUSE

December 9, 2020

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

FRANKLIN — Evangelism leaders for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board agree COVID-19 has impacted personal evangelism, but they also strongly affirm that Christians should not use it as an excuse to not witness.

“The fact social distancing has been in place for months has certainly impacted our ability to communicate with others,” said Roc Collins, director of strategic objectives for the TBMB.

It is hard to create relationships and even communicate with social distancing. Plus, he added, people are leery of everybody and afraid they may catch this virus.”

Jay Barbier, youth evangelism specialist for the TBMB, noted there is “no doubt that personal evangelism has been impacted because of COVID.

“We as a people like to find excuses and I think this pandemic has entertained us in a way like never before to give in to evangelistic laziness. We need to stop saying why we can’t tell others about Jesus because of COVID and look at all the new, old and amazing opportunities we have to communicate the greatest news ever, the gospel of Jesus,” he said. [Read more…]

OUTREACH HAS NEW LOOK DURING PANDEMIC

December 8, 2020

By Aaron Wilson
Writer, LifeWay Christian Resources

Lucinda Arce (left) and her mother Holly Arce distribute candy to local families during a trunk-or-treat event at Madison First Baptist Church. To reach the community, the church hosts a targeted outreach event each month and conducts door-to-door neighborhood visits each week. — Sergio Arce photo

MADISON — Sergio Arce knocks on the door of a home close to the church he pastors. Arce isn’t expected and doesn’t know if anyone is home. This is a cold-call visit.

As a man walks to the door, Arce and the two church members with him take a few steps back to ensure social distancing. The trio wear masks because of the pandemic and carry Evangecubes, a small, visual tool for sharing the gospel.

“Hi, my name is Sergio. This is Jennifer. This is Jermaine,” Arce says as the door opens. “We’re from Madison First Baptist Church and are out seeing how we can be praying for our community. Is there anything we can be praying for you about?”

The man is quick to answer.

“They found my brother’s body last Friday,” he says, recounting a recent storm that caused his brother to be swept away by the current of the nearby Cumberland River. [Read more…]

DAVIS: TENNESSEE BAPTISTS ARE ‘RISING TO THE OCCASION’

November 24, 2020

By Lonnie Wilkey
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

Tennessee Baptist Mission Board president and executive director Randy C. Davis.

FRANKLIN — As COVID-19 cases begin to rise throughout the state, Tennessee Baptist churches will rise to the occasion, said Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

In a pre-Thanksgiving video update (view the video HERE), Davis acknowledged the spike in COVID cases.

Davis observed he has seen it in a personal way through a conversation with his neighbor who works in an ICU unit at a Nashville hospital. “She says it’s as bad as it’s ever been before,” he related.

“Over the past few weeks, we’ve heard of more lay people, more ministry leaders and more pastors having tested positive for COVID,” he added.

“Many of them are suffering greatly because of it,” Davis said. “Thankfully, some cases are very mild and it’s a matter of a week, two weeks and they’re back at it, but there are a lot of people experiencing some very severe symptoms, and we want to be praying for each other during that time.” [Read more…]

TBC CP GIFTS END YEAR NEAR GOAL

November 2, 2020

Baptist and Reflector

FRANKLIN — In a year when most churches across Tennessee could not meet in person for several months, Tennessee Baptists continued to faithfully meet missions and ministry needs in the state and around the world.

Tennessee Baptist Convention churches gave $2,824,225 through the Cooperative Program in October.

Tennessee Baptists gave a total of $34,203,543 through the Cooperative Program during the 2019-20 budget year which ended Oct. 31. The amount was $516,061 or 1.51 percent below what was given last year. The total also was $796,457 or 2.28 percent below budget needs. [Read more…]

Pastors express ‘decision fatigue’ and ‘ministerial frustration’ as COVID-19 pandemic lingers

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