Posted on 03/09/2020 10:00:39 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A Washington State-based regional body of Presbyterian Church (USA) is encouraging congregations in the Seattle area to cancel in-person worship services due to the coronavirus.
The Presbytery of Seattle posted a letter to its website last Friday that was signed by the Reverends Eliana Maxim and Scott Lumsden, the co-executive presbyters of the regional body. The leadership of the presbytery stated that it was “time to cancel regular worship” due to the recently reported cases of coronavirus in the state.
“Eliana and I, as pastoral leaders in this presbytery lament this conclusion, but believe in our hearts that it's in the best interest of our community, our neighbors, our parishioners, our family, and our friends,” they stated.
“Jeremiah told us to ‘seek the welfare of the city ... and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.’ (29:7) So let us turn our corporate worship into prayers for our community.”
They went on to explain that their decision was in keeping with a recent King County Health Department recommendation to “cancel large gatherings."
“We appreciate all the good work your churches have done to mitigate the spread of this virus, and know that many of you are taking precautions for worship this Sunday,” they continued.
“But if you're asking for our advice, we believe the more prudent path is to cancel worship until further notice.”
In the United States, Washington state has experienced the worst of the global coronavirus outbreak, with 70 of the 200 confirmed cases in the nation.
Of the 11 reported deaths in the United States, 10 have been in King County, according to USA Today.
PC(USA) churches are not the only Seattle area houses of worship looking to cancel in-person worship due to the coronavirus.
Doxa Church, the former main campus of the multi-site megachurch Mars Hill, canceled their in-person service and held an exclusively online worship service on Sunday instead.
“Today our church gathers across the Puget Sound,” noted the digital liturgy uploaded by Doxa Church on their website.
“We pray for the continued healing and care for all those affected by the outbreak, for peace to come to those filled with anxiety and fear, and for God to use His church to be a burning light of hope and sacrificial love to the world around us.”
Westminster Chapel in Bellevue, EastLake Community Church in Bothell and other megachurches also closed their campuses, with many streaming their services online.
The insane panic goes on.
Closing Presbyterian churches will lower the risk of mingling by how much?
To be clear on this, as far as I know “Mars High” is not part of the PCUSA and has had more than it’s share of controversies.
Also - please inform us why we - with the best healthcare system - and we - the wealthiest country on the planet - have run the fewest per capita tests than any other nation (even though we have people who obviously have it and meet the criteria - like a nurse who is symptomatic after treating a patient who tested positive).
Thanks.
Wow!
It's not panic. It's reacting to a threat. The threat is worse for governments because it's a threat to our medical system. Our system cannot handle the number of people that will need medical help. NO medical system in any country can handle it. That's why worldwide every country is trying desperately to stop it.
It’s a threat because the MSM says it’s a threat. Do they do the same thing for the regular flu that kills thousands here every year? This is political.
Nope. the MSM will certainly take advantage of it. Of course. But it's a threat to the economies of every single nation which is why every single nation, including the United States, has taken extreme measures to stop it or slow it down.
Zero.
It’s a declining apostate church. It will be like hardly anyone noticed.
But the regular flu charges on with more deaths than this beer virus.
That's true for now. But if it spreads as much as the flu does it will kill ten times as many at least. But that's not what concerns them. It's really the hospitals can't handle all the sick.
Maybe - but again, the regular flu has killed more so far than the beer virus but yet that’s the main thing with the media.
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