As coronavirus cases spread in the U.S. and the world, pastors must lead with wisdom during a time when there are both real health threats and real emotional needs in our communities and congregations. We serve as clergy at Wilshire Baptist Church, a Dallas church that made headlines when the fiance of a congregant was diagnosed with Ebola in 2014. Out of that experience, we advise other church leaders to seek an informed mix of prudence, compassion and calm as they guide the response in their congregations and communities. Plenty of other people are going to sound the alarm and panic. It is the church's role to model a way of living not driven by fear -- to listen to medical professionals and act in a way that helps our communities. Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas gained international notoriety in fall 2014, when a man named Thomas Eric Duncan -- unknowingly carrying the Ebola virus -- traveled from Liberia to Dallas to see his fiancee, a woman in our church named Louise. They'd had a son together nearly two decades before, but the randomness of U.S. immigration policies had kept them apart for most of the years since. |
| | RELATED: THE 20-SECOND GIFT OF WASHING YOUR HANDS |
Twenty seconds doesn't seem like a long time -- until you try to follow the guidance to wash your hands for that long to avoid the new coronavirus, writes a pastor.
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| | RESOURCES FOR CHRISTIAN LEADERS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK |
Pastors and other Christian leaders are struggling to know how to respond to the the current outbreak of COVID-19. Our colleagues at Faith & Leadership have compiled information from government and media sources to offer guidance and will update this list periodically.
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A personal experience with serious illness convinced a theologian that the virtual body of Christ can make a real difference in a hurting world -- a lesson which feels appropriate in these days of virtual worship.
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Caring for the ill and dying is work the church should claim, says Duke University pediatric oncologist Dr. Raymond Barfield. Medical institutions don't have the capacity to offer the spiritual care that is the church's domain.
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Communication is integral to the mission of the church, but it can go awry in myriad ways, both obvious and subtle. Communication in the Church helps congregations create healthier ways for their members to relate to one another for greater personal and congregational success. The book offers practical guidelines to help readers become more effective in how they build relationships, lead meetings, experience trust, practice forgiveness, use power, and bridge cultures.
Communication in the Church distills the latest social science research for readers including clergy, lay leaders, continuing education planners, students, scholars, and others. Each chapter includes real-life scenarios, sensible guidelines, practical applications, and suggestions for further learning. This book aims to help readers communicate more effectively-from leading more engaging and productive meetings to preventing or addressing communication breakdowns.
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