En Plus: UMC General Conference Bumped to 2021 and More

Pandemic Delays UMC’s General Conference and Its Pending Schism

One of the many repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic—which has now killed more than 100,000 Americans—is that the country’s largest mainline Protestant denomination is stuck in limbo. This month, the United Methodist Church (UMC) was scheduled to hold its quadrennial General Conference in Minneapolis, with a debate about homosexuality causing a potential schism. But the 10-day meeting and the much-anticipated vote have been bumped to August 29, 2021, still in Minneapolis. Read More

UMC Churches Practice Caution Before Reopening

As many states have begun to ease restrictions after weeks or months of shelter-in-place orders due to the coronavirus, United Methodist churches in the U.S. by and large will remain closed a while longer. Read More

The UMC has a substantial presence in Tennessee and Western Kentucky with most communities having a UMC church as well as a Baptist church and a Church of Christ church. In determining whether they should relaunch church services and gatherings, church leaders should consider what other churches in the community and the region are doing and the basis for the actions that these churches are taking in weighing the pros and cons of regathering. At the same time they should resist the temptation to relaunch church services and gatherings because other churches are relaunching them. In my region and elsewhere in the United States an observable divide exist between church leaders who take the COVID-19 pandemic with the seriousness that it warrants and those who, like the Texas bar owner and the Kentucky gas station-convenience store owner in the Washinton Post article to which I have posted a link below, dismiss the seriousness of the pandemic. A number of the latter did not temporarily suspend church services and gatherings when they were urged to do by the state. On the other hand, a number of the latter reluctantly complied with the state's recommendations. With relaxation of state-mandated precautionary measures, they are eager to relaunch their church services and gatherings, seeing a return to normalcy as they see it as a vindication of their view of the pandemic. Any assessment of what other churches are doing should include an assessment of the motives of the leaders of these churches in deciding to relaunch church services and gatherings.

“You are a Compromised Coward”—Discussing How to Resume Gathered Worship

In the next few months, pastors will face the task of leading divided congregations to make unified decisions. I don’t know when, and that’s a local decision, but what I do know is this: as of now, it seems we are running headlong into a very divisive time. Read More

5 Transformative Questions to Ask before You Reopen Your Church or after You've Done It

Although pastors have always sensed that life and death hang in the balance of their decisions, that’s actually even more true now. And as you know, re-opening your church building is a far more complex task than closing your building ever was. And, as many leaders are discovering, initial attendance on re-opening is much lower than anyone expected. Read More

Should Kids Wear Face Masks?—CDC Gives Guidance on Children’s Face Coverings

As businesses and restaurants begin reopening around the country, the most common measure to protect against COVID-19 is to wear a face mask while in public. In many states, this practice is not just recommended, but now required. That’s because according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, face masks can help prevent the transmission of respiratory droplets from an infected person to those nearby. Read More

6 Tips For Surviving a COVID-19 Summer With Your Kids

Erika Coles, clinical director at the FIU Center for Children and Families, shares some tips on how parents can survive the summer with their kids while staying home. Read More

‘Sorry, No Mask Allowed’: Some Businesses Pledge to Keep Out Customers Who Cover Their Faces

In the emergent culture war over masks, a handful of businesses — the Liberty Tree Tavern among them — are fashioning themselves as fortresses for the resistance. Read More

I am prompted to wonder whether legal grounds exist for taking such businesses to court for discriminating against customers who are wearing face masks to protect themselves, their families, and their communities from the spread of COVID-19. The attitude displayed by the Texas bar owner and one of his customers in this article is what makes the task of suppressing COVID-19 in the United States more difficult than it may be in other countries where the population has a greater sense of social responsibility. The Texas bar owner and the Kentucky gas station-convenience store owner are going beyond saying that wearing a face mask is a personal choice and the decision to wear one should be left to the individual, a view which is itself problematic. They are actively discouraging the wearing of face masks and thereby endangering the public.