Now that former President Jimmy Carter and his wife are vaccinated against COVID-19, they have returned to one of their favorite things: church. Maranatha Baptist Church in tiny Plains, Georgia, announced on its Facebook page Wednesday that the Carters were again attending worship in person.
On Sunday, Feb. 21, local clergy gathered on the lawn of the First Christian Church of Decatur to remember Georgia victims of COVID-19. An artistic display of 15,000 small white flags represented the 15,000 Georgians who have died from the disease in the past year. Read
Ministering to the ill or dying is a major role of spiritual leaders in all religions. Susan Dunlap, a divinity professor at Duke University, said covid-19 creates an even greater feeling of obligation for clergy because many patients are isolated from family members. Read full piece
Most churches have found a way to continue meeting despite the ongoing pandemic, but fewer met in person in January as COVID-19 cases spiked across the country. A new study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research found 76% of U.S. Protestant pastors say their churches met in
Legislators across the country are considering nearly 50 bills dealing with religious freedom protections during a pandemic. Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor is quoted in this article. Read full piece
As states continue with the initial rollout of vaccines for COVID-19, the availability for pastors depends on their location as well as the definition of “essential.” Clergy are already eligible in some states, but not in others.
Noel Jones wants more Black Angelenos to get vaccinated, as we are among the most likely to contract and die of COVID-19 along with Latinos. Read full piece
Carol McEntyre: It is easier to blame God than to admit we have failed one another. Read full piece
Tanzania’s COVID-denying president is calling on citizens for three days of prayer to defeat unnamed “respiratory diseases” amid warnings that the country is seeing a deadly resurgence in infections.
The Supreme Court has increasingly exempted religious believers from government regulations, and it is clear by their statements that individual justices on the right think religion is under siege in America. Read full piece