California Counties Targeting Pastors
April 11, 2020
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
— Hebrews 10:23-25
Late Thursday evening, I received a call from Dan Carroll, a San Bernardino pastor who was wrangling with county officials over new face-covering mandates related to the coronavirus outbreak. The megachurch staff was well into planning a modified, live- streamed Easter service in its empty worship center. Pastor Dan and his worship team had already incorporated social-distancing guidelines. Health officials, though, were not satisfied, demanding they wear protective masks throughout the entire service, including the sermon and worship times.
Pastor Dan was one of several frantic calls I received this week. In neighboring Riverside County other pastors were told their congregations could not hold drive-in style Easter services. Others across the state called to say they were having trouble navigating the new federal Small Business Administration loans for churches.
Through our relationship with county officials and Advocates for Faith & Freedom, Church United was able to secure eased restrictions for many Southern California churches. Without the concessions, they each faced substantial fines or arrest. San Bernardino, though, agreed to let church leaders remove the masks during preaching and singing, but required them to keep the masks in place while passively on stage. It turns out the county was eager to have the church set an example of safe-distancing practices. Meanwhile, Riverside officials acquiesced on their ban on drive-thru services, an increasingly popular worship option during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As for the financial impact, several churches reported to us they were either being denied loans because of a lack of credit history or because their banks had already exhausted federal funds to do so. Thankfully, Church United was able to find a lender to help those congregations continue through the process.
Without a doubt, these are unprecedented times for the bride of Christ, but thanks to our generous donors, Church United has been able to stand beside these pastors, whether their congregations are small, medium, large or mega. We have become a trusted and integral one-stop shop to help clergy weed through all the information and obstacles thrust upon them since mid-March.
As we celebrate Resurrection Sunday and the promise of new life, it is reassuring there are promising signs the virus appears to be waning in some regions of the country. Even so, recovery is going to be a long-time effort. We welcome your partnership—now more than ever.
Oh, another praise, just as I’m writing this, I heard from Pastor Dan…over 100 people accepted Christ during their online Good Friday service. God, I hope these are signs of a Fourth Great Awakening in America!
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