I gather that some people are hoarding items. My stash of frozen Mrs. Callendar’s Chicken Pot Pies is down to just a couple (my wife says they are inedible anyway, so they are mine! All mine! I like the KFC chicken pie, heavy on bread, fat, and salt but I’m not all that keen on their food handling.). Looks to me like the supply chain is working well where I am.
It’s all anecdotal but I’m seeing churches and others be incredibly generous in these times. To wit:
- I’ve heard of at least one megachurch that has recalibrated their budget so that they can help smaller churches that cannot meet and are hurting financially, as in giving them money. That’s unheard of. God bless them.
- When I retired eight years ago, I had declined to set up any online giving system. Since then it is much more common and all of my former, average sized SBC churches have an online giving option. Those that don’t are receiving free advice and assistance from our entities and other churches. It wasn’t unusual as pastor for me to get a call from an older member asking if I could stop by to pick up their tithe check. I always found time. “Just put it on the front porch,” is what I’d say today.
- My church went to a “Coronavirus Budget” earlier this month. Only essential items were kept. All else frozen. Lots of extra funds freed up for local needs, primarily food, so far as I am aware. We give away tons of food every week and will do so until schools are open. Several tons each week.
- In a tight situation, it’s a tough choice whether or not to keep the Cooperative Program at the same level. I would prefer to do that but if the choice is between a staff member I see (or talk to) every day, or a denominational staffer in Duluth or Nashville or somewhere, I’ll choose our guy every day. Maybe the enormous stimulus will avoid such choices. Either the local church is king or the CP is king. Can’t have both. If if comes to a vote and I hope such is avoided, I vote for the former.
- All denominational workers I have come in contact with (excepting only a couple) are keenly interested in serving churches. Unfortunately, we have several layers of such workers not all of whom are essential.
- Speaking of which…I hear (didn’t get into the details) that self-employed people are eligible for unemployment benefits. Does this include church clergy staff? I don’t have an answer.
- Our church’s mortgage holder has given us a sixty-day waiver on making payments. Those bills will come due eventually but it does provide some breathing room.
- All kinds of businesses are offering delays in payment deadlines.
- Media paywalls have dropped in many outlets.
- Denominational politics has taken a breather, although I confess to a slight tweak of the CBN yesterday. Got tweaked back, so we’re even.
- Imagine this: we’ve got about fifteen months to organize, blog, tweet, gripe and grumble, fuss and fume about SBC denominational stuff between now and June 2021. Once we’re past this crisis, it’s going to be a long year.
- IMB and NAMB, our two most important entities are in solid shape, thank the Lord.
Like someone famous is want to say, “We’ll see where this goes.” But, I like what I’m seeing in the short term here.
Normally pastors are not eligible for unemployment benefits since churches don’t pay into unemployment insurance fund. But the bill being passed today may bring clergy in temporarily since it includes self employed contract workers? My speculation. Anyone know for sure?
Baptist Press released an article today answering many questions. In short, pastors and other church staff members ARE able to receive unemployment benefits under the new stimulus package. http://www.bpnews.net/54550/qa-how-churches-pastors-are-eligible-for-relief-in-stimulus-package
On a related note, will JD simply continue on for a third term, since we’re not voting on a new President?
Lots of questions answered: http://www.sbc.net/annualmeeting/
I agree… plenty of positive if you look for it. I’ll add this: people seem to be behaving and treating each other politely in grocery stores. Anecdotal, of course, but people seem to be realizing that we’re all in the same boat. Praying that many would begin to open up to Jesus during this time.
I just baptized a 10 year old girl in an empty auditorium. Only her mother, our children’s minister & I there. The original plan was to do it Sunday so all of her family could be here, but things changed quickly am I right? Even in the midst of this turmoil God is still on the move! We will add in the video to our service element for Sunday so the church can see it. These are different times for sure!
We baptized 3 on Facebook Live Tuesday night