One month ago, the Baptist Bible Fellowship was wrapping up a great mid-winter meeting in Orlando, FL. Few, if any, at that meeting could have imagined what the world would look like today. To say COVID-19 (the coronavirus) has taken the world by storm is a vast understatement. At this writing, the viral disease has spread to 114 countries and claimed more than 4,000 lives. On Wednesday, March 11, it was officially categorized as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). The same evening, President Trump addressed the nation announcing more travel bans, financial assistance to small businesses, and a commitment to fight this disease.
The reaction of our society is unprecedented. There is no March Madness. The NBA and NHL seasons have been indefinitely suspended. Major League Baseball is delaying its opening day. This weekend’s PGA tournament will be played with no fans on the course. If that is not enough, both Disney Land and Disney World have closed their doors.
How COVID-19 Has Impacted the BBFI
Both Baptist Bible College and Boston Baptist College had to postpone spring break study trips indefinitely. BBC had two trips scheduled, one to Israel and another to Kenya. Boston Baptist was planning to spend their break in Israel. BBC also canceled their upcoming College Days event for prospective students.
Both schools are on a “wait and see” approach to what the rest of the semester will hold. Expect to hear updates from both schools within the next few days. To see updates from each school, use the following links …
Pastors and missionaries have both been impacted as well. Many pastors/churches are being proactive in communicating with their church members about how they are preparing for weekend services. Some have decided to cancel in-person services and move entirely to an online service. Others are doing some combination of both. Missionaries are significantly impacted, as well. Several countries have declared a national emergency. Many countries are not as prepared as the United States and are already seeing signs of food, gas, and medical supply shortages.
Church planters could be impacted more than most. Several BBFI church plants are currently meeting in public schools. Some of these schools have informed the church they can no longer use their facilities for church. Many are scrambling to find a new location, and when they do, it is typically much more expensive.
If you are a church planter with this issue, please contact the BBFI Communication Office by clicking here. BBFI Third VP, Sean Sears, has also challenged churches to give to help these church plants. If you are willing to help with this, please use the same link to receive more information.
Upcoming Schedule
The BBFI has two significant events scheduled in the next few months. Baptist Bible College has been working hard to prepare for a special 70th Anniversary Celebration during the annual Fellowship Week on their campus in May. The Mission Office has been working hard to plan a Global Fellowship Meeting to take place in San Jose, Costa Rica, in July. As of today, both events are still scheduled to take place. April 10, 2020, has been established as a Go-No-Go day for both events. Fellowship Week at BBC may be decided much sooner as the peak of the coronavirus is expected to be late April. Please follow the BBFI social media and/or subscribe to the Tribune e-Newsletter to receive the most up to date information. Jon Konnerup, BBFI Mission Director, has a team in place to continually assess the situation to make the call on the Global Meeting. As soon as a decision has been made, the Mission Office, along with other BBFI communication outlets, will inform of that decision.
As of today, both Fellowship Week and the Global Fellowship Meeting are still scheduled to take place. April 10, 2020, has been established as a Go-No-Go day for both events. Click To TweetDay of Prayer
Our brothers in the Southern Baptist Convention have issued a call to commit to a dedicated time of prayer this Sunday, March 15, 2020. It would be fitting for us to join them in this endeavor.
Specifically, they are challenging each church to pray the following …
- Ask God, in His mercy, to stop this pandemic and save lives — not only in our communities but around the world, particularly in places that are unequipped medically to deal with the virus. (Isaiah 59:1-2)
- Pray for President Donald Trump and other government leaders — international, federal, state, and local — to have the wisdom to direct us in the best courses of action for prevention and care. (Romans 13:1–4)
- Scripture says: Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts. Pray that the Lord will give us wisdom in this moment of fear as the foundations of what we know are shaken, that others would realize how fragile life is and how real eternity is, and they would see their need to turn to God. (Psalm 90:12)
- Ask God to protect our missionaries and their families around the globe, using this global crisis to advance His Good News to the whole world. (Mark 16:15)
Resources to Help You Lead in This Time of Crisis
The Christian community has done a good job of providing online resources to help during this crisis. Below are several that may be a help to you and your church.
The Gospel Coalition does a good job with this article, explaining clearly what the coronavirus is. Click here for the article.
Carey Nieuwhof writes on the importance of crisis leadership Christian leadership in this article. One thing he states is, “Your job isn’t just to react to what’s happening, it’s to lead people in light of what’s happening.” Click here for the article.
Many BBFI pastors and missionaries use GuideStone Financial Services. They issued an important statement reflecting on the financial crisis (primarily through the stock market) as a result of the coronavirus. Click here for the article.
Ministry Grid, which is a ministry of Lifeway Resources, has created a FREE training and checklist to prepare churches for the coronavirus. Click here to download that free resource.
Outreach Magazine and Churchleaders.com also created a FREE church guide to coronavirus. You can download their PDF by clicking here.
If you know of other useful resources, please share them in the comments below.
Final Thoughts
As stated earlier, this is an unprecedented time. Most pastors leading today have not experienced anything like this. September 11 might be the closest, but that was a totally different situation. The fear many have today is far greater than that caused by terrorists then. Here are a few thoughts to help you lead well during this crisis.
- Use this as an opportunity to serve
There is likely much chaos and confusion in the community where you live. You and your church can help. Look for opportunities to serve. It is crucial not to turn inward but to maintain a focus on serving the community. Your community will know that you are Jesus’ disciples by how you have a love for one another (John 13:35). As you serve, be generous of your time, treasures, and talents. Who knows if you and your church are precisely where you are today for such a time as this (Esther 4:14).
- Use this as an opportunity to show your faith in Christ
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7), but it is much easier to live life in fear than faith. This is a great opportunity for you to lead by example and help those struggling with fear. What are you doing to help others bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (II Corinthians 10:5)?
- Use this as an opportunity to pray
God is continually calling us into a closer relationship with Him. Prayer shows our dependence on Him. The reality is, as smart as the doctors are that are working on finding a cure and/or a vaccine to combat COVIS-19, we need God’s help. Use this as an opportunity to cry out to God for help. Pray for your family. Pray for your church family. Pray for your community. Pray for your partner missionaries. Pray for the entities of the BBFI as they work to help you and your church.
Thank you so much for being thorough in this communication. We’ll be praying for wisdom in these important upcoming decisions. -Larry
God is so In Control. My mission is to teach many verses about fear tomarrow in my ladies meeting just Scripturally showing them not to fear just trust God for He know best for us.