The little church that wouldn't

I've been considering today the case of the Louisiana church who is defying state order in still meeting on Sundays.  I decided I needed to do a little more prayer and a little more action before doing the post.  And I am glad I did.


Researchers say that while 88% of churches in this nation are doing the safe, legal thing of having services online or another means of 'non-meeting' meetings, there are still 1/5th of churches still meeting "now more than ever".  First, let's look at "how that's working":

In Cleburne County in Arkansas, Greers Ferry First Assembly is mourning their beloved long time greeter who died this week from the new coronavirus as the number of infected persons connected to the church rose to 37.

In Illinois, several members of a Pentecostal church are either at the hospital or in-home quarantine after at least 43 congregants fell ill following a revival service about a fortnight ago, and at least 10 of them have tested positive.

In a Facebook post Wednesday night, Layna LoCascio, wife of pastor Anthony LoCascio who leads The Life Church of Glenview, said at least 43 of the approximately 80 people who attended a March 15 service at their church have fallen ill and everyone who has been tested for the new coronavirus has come back positive for the virus.


“We have 43 infected (at minimum) from our church or connected to our church from our last service on March 15th. They all haven’t tested but whoever gets a test done ends up being positive, and we all have the same symptoms. It’s just not easy. It’s especially not easy when you’re a leader and a pastor of a precious church and we all got infected together,” she wrote.

(Above from The Christian Post)

I could go on- there are several other examples.  Now, let's go on to this particular church's reasoning:

We are essential

“We feel that we are as an essential part of our community as the retail stores,” pastor Tony Spell of Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, told Dr. Phil. “It is in persecution of the faith for us to be asked to close our doors whenever more people are being contacted in those Targets and Walmarts than are in my service.”


Pastor Spell said, “We reach out, we minister to people, feed people. We are the last stable institution in this community today.”

He added it was a time of instability for the community he serves.

He said two teenage African American girls attempted to take their own lives this week because their parents lost their jobs, the schools are closed, and they don’t get their meals during the day.


“We are ministering to them; we are not part of the problem,” the pastor asserted.

He added that some of his parishioners were suspended from their jobs without pay for attending church. Their argument to their employer, he said, was that other employees were at the gym, shopping, and at other locations where they, too, were surrounded by people but they were not suspended for their actions. 


"That, my friend, is a persecution for the faith..."

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But is that 'persecution for the faith'?  Let's look step by step at what he says here, and then see what God might have to say.

Essential?  I believe contact with other Christians is essential- so does my church.  That is why they have a plethora of online outreaches going on right now.  Should brick and mortar stores be shut down as well?  There you are talking not only the well-being of believers, but of non-believers as well. And the logistics of online church for Christians is a lot easier done than the logistics of online only shopping for the wider world.  Trust me, even before the lockdown it was a 3-day wait for delivery here.  Plus, stores have taken various steps to keep the 6-ft-distance rules in force, among other measures.  Can a church reasonably do this and have a full service?

"Last stable institution"- Well, your state has stable institutions- which you are deciding to ignore, thus de-stabilizing them.

"...two teenage African-American girls"- IDK about Louisiana, but here in Indiana, scores of schools and restaurants are bending over backwards to make sure ALL kids in the community are able to get free lunches if necessary.  So are you telling me that a) your state hasn't figured that one out (which I doubt), b) these girls were that ignorant of the options available (more plausible, but still doubtful), or c) this is a carefully worded lie, to make Dr Phil's audience go ga-ga by hitting all the pc markers (the odds on favorite)?

"...not part of the problem..."  As I said above, there are ways of ministering WITHOUT being part of the problem.  If you feel mass contact is necessary, then yes, you ARE part of the problem.

"...suspended from their jobs..."  Um, any business has the right to fire someone for breaking the law.  It's part of your work agreement.  NOT persecution.


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Now, what would God say?  First off, would He call this persecution?  Answer, no.  Can you still meet as a church online, have meetings of less than the banned amount, pass out food to suicidal African-American girls without breaking the law?  Yes.

Second, are you breaking the law to stand up for Christ, or are you breaking the law to get attention for yourself and using Christ as a self-glorifying cover?  Let's see what Paul says:

Romans 13  1 All of you must obey the government rulers. Everyone who rules was given the power to rule by God. And all those who rule now were given that power by God. 2 So anyone who is against the government is really against something God has commanded. Those who are against the government bring punishment on themselves. 3 People who do right don’t have to fear the rulers. But those who do wrong must fear them. Do you want to be free from fearing them? Then do only what is right, and they will praise you.


So either you DON'T know the Word as well as you might, or you're trying to self-glorify.  That your interview was on Dr Phil kinda answers that question.

Now, you might tell me, "But Peter said, 'Should we obey man or obey God?' "  This is true.  But Peter and John were specifically being asked to stop preaching the Word BECAUSE it WAS the Word.  By now, you might have read the Martin Luther quote about self-quarantining during the plague that's been all over social media.  By any stretch, if your church was at all about the TRUTH of the Word, you'd know you were in the wrong here.


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But one final thing to consider is the "V" in the anagram I shared a few weeks ago- "God's View, not man's".  Could there be a reason that God HAS chosen this church, among so many, to stand up this way?  Perhaps there is a certain pride that needs to be knocked loose here.  As leadership comes from the top, I can practically guarantee it.  As Christians, I would believe our duty is to pray for this church- that God releases this judgment, takes the blinders from their eyes, and breaks them of this sinful pride, before it is too late for them and the good that they COULD be doing for their community.