The Weekly is a highlight of the work the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is doing to strengthen you and our churches for God’s glory.

Explainer: How the IMF projects the coronavirus will affect the global economy

What just happened?

On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued its latest world economic outlook. In the report the IMF projects global economic growth in 2020 to fall to minus 3%. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the cumulative loss to the global GDP over 2020 and 2021 could be around $9 trillion, greater than the economies of Japan and Germany combined. This would be the worst recession since the Great Depression, and worse than the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-2009.

“The magnitude and speed of collapsing activity that has followed is unlike anything experienced in our lifetimes,” said IMF economic counselor Gita Gopinath. “This is a crisis like no other, which means there are substantial uncertainties about the impact it will have on people's lives and livelihoods.”

What is global GDP and how is it related to the economy?

When people refer to “the economy” they are usually referring to a particular idea—Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—which is itself simply an economic metric. GDP is often used as a single number that “measures” the economy. GDP is the total monetary value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country's borders in a specific time period. Global GDP (or gross world product (GWP)) is the combined GDP of all the countries in the world.

The IMF’s statement that economic growth will fall is a claim that the total value of the goods and services being exchanged around the world is expected to decrease sharply.

This Week at the ERLC

Chelsea Patterson Sobolik will be hosting a “Women at Work” webinar event on April 21. Find out more here.

Helpful Resources On COVID-19

What You Need to Read

In the amount of time you read this article, approximately 170 adults will experience abuse at home.[1] We already saw these statistics played out in situations as counselors, but with people being isolated, losing jobs, financial concerns, fears, and ways of escape blocked by restrictions to contain this pandemic, domestic abuse and violence will be amplified. Those who might speak up and seek help are limited in doing so as they are stuck in the same home with their abusers.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights are widely accepted in the global community. Both guarantee freedom of religion or belief. Curtailment of that liberty is permissible in public health emergencies, but only in ways that do not destroy the right, are narrow in application, and are not discriminatory against certain sets of believers.

Many church leaders feel tension between government restrictions related to COVID-19 and the fundamental right of religious liberty. Can the government prohibit in-person worship services? What about drive-in services or online streaming? This pandemic provokes many such questions about the rights and responsibilities of both churches and governments at every level, from D.C. to state governors and local public health departments.

News From Capitol Hill

There was significant discussion this week about religious liberty during a pandemic crisis that requires a temporary suspension of group gatherings.

The reports of discord between churches and local officials in Kentucky and Mississippi this past Sunday are certainly distressing for American Christians because we recognize that religious freedom is the foundation from which all our constitutional rights are secured. Thankfully, such conflict remains the rare experience in this country as communities cooperate to protect the vulnerable by social distancing.

The ERLC is helping church leaders think well about their relationships with government officials and helping those public officials understand why faith communities are essential partners in defeating this virus. As Travis Wussow, ERLC’s vice president of public policy and general counsel, said last month when some of these conflicts first arose:

“We need both elected officials thinking about why religion is essential and religious leaders thinking about the complexities of public health. We can avoid both overreach and paranoia by working together in common purpose—to love our neighbors and protect the vulnerable.”

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice weighed into the Greenville, Mississippi, conflict in defense of the constitutional rights of churches by issuing a document known as a Statement of Interest to the court proceedings. Wussow and Josh Wester wrote about this development:

“Today, Attorney General William Barr issued a release outlining the necessity of protecting religious freedom in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak and announcing that the DOJ filed a Statement of Interest in the case involving the Mississippi church. Both the attorney general’s statement and the DOJ filing were measured, highlighting the important role of government in managing the COVID-19 pandemic while emphasizing the limits of government power even in extraordinary circumstances.”

Read more: Explainer: Department of Justice Statement of Interest regarding religious freedom case in Mississippi

As we advocate for religious liberty in the public square, we also pray that God would use the absence of Easter gatherings this past Sunday to remind us of our vulnerability and need for one another in biblical community. We are all in this uniquely wrenching moment together and must keep working together from Washington to local neighborhoods to care especially for those who have lost loved ones or jobs to this pandemic.

Featured Podcasts

On The ERLC Podcast last week, Josh Wester, Lindsay Nicolet, and Brent Leatherwood talked about Holy Week, the queen’s speech, and had a conversation with Catherine Parks. Keep an eye out for the latest episode later today. You can tune in here.

On The Way Home podcast, Dr. James Merritt joins Dan Darling to talk about character, leadership, pastoring, and the Southern Baptist Convention. Merritt is pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, Georgia. He is the host of broadcast ministry, Touching Lives. Listen here.

From The Public Square

Justice Dept. to probe restrictions placed on religious gatherings to curb coronavirus
Jon Haworth, et al., ABC News

A Justice Department official told ABC News on Sunday that Attorney General William Barr is taking a look at "multiple" instances where people who violated social distancing guidelines while trying to attend worship services may have received harsher punishments than others in their community.

Virus fuels pot industry's push for online sales, delivery
Thomas Peipert, Associated Press

Colorado has made online sales of recreational marijuana legal during the coronavirus pandemic, fulfilling one of the pot industry’s biggest wishes

Judge blocks ban on some Texas abortions during outbreak
Associated Press

A federal judge has blocked the enforcement, in some cases, of an executive order banning abortions in Texas during the coronavirus pandemic.

New York City churches serve as COVID-19 crisis worsens
Tobin Perry, Baptist Press

When the COVID-19 pandemic began hitting New York City last month, the leaders of Bridge Community Church in Queens, N.Y., wanted to help. As a small one-year-old church plant, they knew they could not do everything. They could, however, do something.