DALLAS (BP)—With many churches reporting strained budgets due to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, GuideStone is offering a one-time opportunity for both group plans and personal plans to step down to a lower-cost health care plan for the remainder of 2020.

Generally, the option to change plans is available only during re-enrollment.

“We understand that we live in a very different economic reality than we did when most churches made their health plan elections for 2020,” GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins said.

“This one-time step-down opportunity may be able to help churches and ministries find some much-needed breathing room in their budget.”

Churches can elect to move from a standard PPO plan to an HSA-qualified high deductible health plan or to GuideStone’s lowest-cost option, Secure Health 3000.

Ministries and churches that change plans as part of this one-time step-down will be able to change plans again at re-enrollment for 2021.

Churches legally must provide staff with 60 days’ notice of a change. GuideStone will provide churches that make a change with all the needed notifications.

Click here for more information.

ATLANTA—In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and public health concerns, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s annual general assembly will be a virtual event rather than in-person gathering this summer, CBF Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley announced.

Baxley issued a statement April 2 saying the CBF Governing Board approved his recommendation that the June 24-26 event—originally scheduled at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta, Ga.—transition to “a series of virtual experiences of worship, inspiration, education, fellowship and business.”

“These are highly unusual times,” Baxley stated. “The ministry of congregations and the pursuit of God’s mission in the world have never been more important than they are right now. But these moments require a faithful agility unlike any we have seen before.”

The CBF general assembly is the latest Baptist summer gathering affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Southern Baptist Convention announced March 24 it was canceling its annual meeting for the first time in 75 years. Two days later, the Baptist World Alliance announced it was postponing the international Baptist World Congress until summer 2021.

Rather than cancel its general assembly outright, CBF leaders decided to pursue a virtual alternative, Baxley noted.

“The CBF general assembly is not a religious or political convention. Instead, from our inception, it has been imagined as a gathering for worship, inspiration, education, fellowship and business. While we cannot gather in the ways we have become accustomed this year, it is essential that our Fellowship do what each of your congregations is doing; namely find ways to carry out our ministry with faithful agility in the midst of this pandemic,” Baxley wrote to CBF-affiliated churches.

Individuals already registered for the general assembly will receive instructions about how to access the virtual event, and CBF also will accept new registrations, he noted.

“While we grieve that we will not have the opportunity to be together in person this year, we are seeking ways to invite many more Cooperative Baptists into our assembly experience, believing that in every season of challenge there are new opportunities for faithfulness not because of our creativity but rather the resurrecting character of the Triune God,” Baxley wrote.

“We believe God is calling us to find ways to come together for worship, hear the stories of our larger mission in the world, learn more about the calling we are receiving toward bold faithfulness, and create opportunities for us to support one another and learn from one another in this time of extraordinary need and challenge.”

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (RNS)—Molly T. Marshall has stepped down as president of Central Baptist Theological Seminary due to an unspecified “ethical lapse,” according to a statement from the seminary.

Marshall said she offered her resignation effective March 1 “because of an ethical lapse that betrayed my stewardship of office,” according to her statement the seminary released March 30.

“I humbly apologize to the board and the rest of the Central constituency and seek forgiveness. My deepest prayer is for the flourishing of the school and her new president.”

Marshall, a theologian and longtime proponent of women in ministry, said she voluntarily resigned to protect the seminary. She resigned from all her duties as president and professor of theology and spiritual formation.

“As this is a personnel matter, due to confidentiality the board cannot discuss specifics around Dr. Marshall’s resignation,” the statement read.

Robert E. Johnson will serve as interim president of the seminary.

“As we confront the many challenges presented by this circumstance, we do acknowledge Molly’s leadership of the last 16 years,” Johnson said.

Marshall, before the sudden announcement, had planned to retire this summer. In February, the board of trustees elected Pamela R. Durso as the 11th president of the seminary, which has ties to American Baptist Churches USA, which claims more than 5,000 congregations.

Durso begins her tenure as president on June 1.

Turned around Central Seminary

A Kansas publication wrote last year about how Marshall “resurrected” Central Baptist Theological Seminary, which had 78 students in 2004 when she became president.

“We flipped her the keys to the Titanic,” is what board members joked when she took on the role, she said in an interview with Flatland, a digital magazine affiliated with KCPT, a Kansas City PBS television station. The school grew to 530 students in 2019.

The Nashville, Tennessee-based nonprofit Baptist Center for Ethics had planned to release “Brother Molly,” a six-episode documentary podcast chronicling Marshall’s life and work, but that has been delayed now. The series was supposed to go live on March 24.

EthicsDaily.com, a division of the Baptist Center for Ethics, began to work on the podcast in January 2019, according to a statement. Several dozen friends and colleagues of Marshall were interviewed to document her impact on the role of women in ministry, Christian theology, Baptist life and theological education.

The narrative podcast, which was roughly three hours, was also based on extensive interviews with Marshall.

“EthicsDaily has been in communication with Dr. Marshall,” said EthicsDaily Executive Director Mitch Randall in the statement. “In light of recent developments, we have decided to delay release of the podcast while we determine the next best steps for this production on the life and ministry of Molly.”

Pioneer among Baptist Women in Ministry

Marshall, a founding member of Baptist Women in Ministry, has long been known for her advocacy of women’s leadership and has been a critic of the position of the Southern Baptist Convention, which has barred women from pastoral positions. The SBC’s faith statement declares that “the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”

In 2012, she noted that “Baptists have lost lots of good women to other denominations, Methodists in particular.”

In 1994, Marshall resigned under pressure from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the SBC’s flagship school, from which she earned her doctoral degree.

She went on to a position as visiting theology professor at the more moderate Central Baptist Theological Seminary in 1995. She served as the school’s acting dean before becoming its president in 2004.

In the 1996 documentary “Battle for the Minds,” Marshall criticized the stance of Southern Baptist leaders who said women should not teach or have positions where they can rule over men.

She said in the documentary that conservative leaders have used “one or two selective texts” and ignored the “larger themes of the New Testament” when making declarations against women pastors.

Over the course of her career, Marshall has served as a theologian for more than 30 years and has been a youth minister, campus minister and pastor at churches in Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Texas.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)—International Mission Board senior leaders have directed missionary personnel around the world to postpone hosting any ministry volunteer groups through June 30, leaders announced March 25. The directive will be reassessed May 1.

The IMB also urged all long-term and mid-term personnel to follow U.S. Department of State advice to shelter in place.

“We’re instructing our personnel to postpone all volunteer efforts at this time due to the uncertainty of health and travel for those traveling internationally, and also to comply with the State Department’s guidance,” said IMB President Paul Chitwood.

“We strongly recommend that Southern Baptist volunteer teams postpone any travel during this time, particularly overseas travel.”

Chitwood said setting a parameter about volunteer teams is a complex issue because of the global nature of the virus, including with the United States being greatly impacted and movement becoming more restricted.

“We highly value all our field personnel and their partners—our long-term personnel; our mid-term personnel, including Journeymen; and the faithful mission volunteers,” Chitwood said. “Throughout this situation, we are continually assessing local situations in the context of the global crisis and doing our best, at both the local and global levels, to make good decisions for our personnel’s health and safety, and for those who desire to serve alongside us as volunteers for a shorter time.

“Ministry overseas, however, hasn’t stopped as many of our missionaries are making the same efforts to move to online discipleship training and other types of meetings to ensure that Southern Baptists’ work and witness among the nations remains strong.”

Call to prayer

Chitwood said every Southern Baptist and other partners have an opportunity to support missions now, even while being restricted in their travel, by committing to a concerted time of prayer.

“We believe that prayer not only paves the way for the Lord to work, but following Jesus’ example, we know that prayer itself is, in fact, part of that vital work,” Chitwood said. “What an incredible opportunity to step into the gap for millions of unreached people while our eyes are on the condition of the world.”

IMB leaders urge those who are committed to prayer to join the agency’s 175 Days of Prayer initiative, planned for May 11-Nov. 29.

The postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics is affecting volunteers planning to share the gospel and serve other ways through the international event in Japan. IMB’s Olympic ministry coordinators shared a message online as well as through a YouTube video for those volunteers.

“We want you to know that the IMB and our partners here in Japan are still committed to the Tokyo Olympics” when they take place, said Daniel Rice, who is coordinating IMB’s Olympic ministries. Between now and then, “our team will continue working hard to keep things moving forward in order to bring the good news of the gospel to the Japanese. We will make the necessary adjustments to continue our plan when the Olympics take place. Our hope is that many of you will be able to join us.

“In the meantime, we ask that you continue to pray for the Japanese people. Many Japanese may feel disappointed and are even concerned that the Olympics’ postponement reflects negatively on them as a nation.”

Following State Department guidelines

IMB leaders have received questions about the status of field personnel who live full time overseas: long-term personnel and mid-term personnel, including Journeymen. In most cases, field leaders have determined that missionaries remaining at their current location is the best option for their health and safety.

In specific cases where personnel have medical conditions such as chronic respiratory ailments or pregnancy and live in locations with substandard medical care, IMB offered the option to temporarily relocate, as they are able to travel, to areas with better medical care.

The U.S. State Department has issued this guidance: “The Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19. In countries where commercial departure options remain available, U.S. citizens who live in the United States should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period. U.S. citizens who live abroad should avoid all international travel.”

Because IMB’s long-term and mid-term field personnel, including Journeyman units, live overseas, the missionaries are following the State Department’s guidance for them to “shelter in place.” The State Department’s Global Level 4 Health Advisory announcement of March 19 is not interpreted as a requirement or encouragement for personnel who live abroad to return to the U.S.

IMB leaders encourage concerned families to communicate directly with their field personnel as they are able to get the most up-to-date information directly about their family members.

“We remain committed to our mission to serve Southern Baptists in carrying out the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations,” Chitwood said. “While this global crisis raises many uncertainties, we remain steadfast in our belief that the Lord will fulfill the vision of a multitude from every language, people, tribe and nation knowing and worshiping our Lord Jesus Christ. And we remain grateful for the opportunities he provides for us to join Him in fulfilling that vision.”

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)—The North American Mission Board is implementing a series of budgetary freezes and cutbacks designed to keep missionaries on the field during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

NAMB President Kevin Ezell announced the spending adjustments March 19 on a video conference call and in emails to state convention leaders and other mission partners.

“We hope these proactive steps will allow our missionaries to continue ministering throughout the crisis, however long it lasts,” Ezell said.

“At this point we just don’t know how severe the financial impact will be on our churches, but we want to do everything we can to keep serving them and keep supporting our missionaries.”

The freeze covers all discretionary spending at NAMB’s Alpharetta building and for NAMB missionaries and staff serving throughout North America. NAMB resources will be focused exclusively on mission-critical ministry needs and supporting church planters and ministry personnel. In addition, NAMB events have been postponed until May 31.

“These are not ‘business as usual’ times and we will not be conducting business as usual,” Ezell said. “We are all praying that things will bounce back quickly, but we are not taking anything for granted.”

NAMB will stay focused on the church planting process by helping existing church plants stay strong and healthy in the current environment, he emphasized.

In-person planter assessments are postponed until fall, but those wishing to plant a church still can register, apply and complete NAMB’s online pre-assessment tool.

“Now is the time to ensure the survivability and sustainability of the churches we have planted over the last few years,” Ezell said. “I am incredibly grateful for the faithful giving of Southern Baptists throughout the years. That is what makes supporting our missionaries possible.”

NASHVILLE (BP)—Transitioning to an online format for church services has brought challenges for many congregations, as they grapple with technology limits and handling a new era of needs in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For many congregations, March 22 was the second service held fully online; others held their services online for the first time.

Among those churches livestreaming services for the first time was Heights Baptist Church in Billings, Mont. Joe Dillabaugh, lead pastor of Heights Baptist, said in the past the church has only recorded the audio of services to later post on their website. But using an iPhone, Dillabaugh and a few members of his team were able to livestream the service to their Facebook page.

“It went better than I expected with several families watching together,” Dillabaugh said. “Facebook was particularly good, because the church could interact and discuss what was going on.”

Dillabaugh said he enjoyed seeing many watch the stream who were not consistent attendees of the church or had moved away in recent years.

“That was a good time of unique fellowship to have them in as a part of worship,” he said.

‘Stay linked to my congregation’

Other pastors are seeking to refine their livestream process for the current situation and are already adjusting sermon content and length to best fit an online audience.

Marc Ira Hooks, pastor of First Baptist Church of Branch in Collin County, said his main goal with a service livestream is not production quality but for viewers to have as personal a connection as possible.

“We recognize that these days are far from normal, and I don’t want to pretend that they are. So, I livestream from my study at the parsonage, virtually inviting viewers into my home,” Hooks said. “For me, the most important thing is to stay linked to my congregation.”

Like Dillabaugh, Hooks said he was encouraged to see the sheer number of people tuning into the livestream service.

“It is still too early to tell what kind of impact we are having, but I do know our online audience is far surpassing our regular church attendance because we have widened the net,” Hooks said. “It is also confirmation that what I have been telling the church is true: ‘The church is not closed; we have left the building.’”

Hooks said he approached his sermon differently than he would in a physical gathering.

“I think my approach of an intimate, personal, close-up broadcast versus reproducing a worship service experience has worked for us,” Hooks said. “However, the attention span of a digital audience is much shorter than that of a live audience. Even though I have cut my messages considerably, I need to make deeper cuts to retain the online audience.”

Finding the best platform and approach

Casey Hough, pastor of Copperfield Church in Houston, said the church’s team records the services a day or two in advance to then broadcast on Sunday through a livestream provider.

Hough said with the level of internet traffic, it has been important to find which streaming service best handles the large capacity of viewers.

For Hough, YouTube has been the preferred streaming platform rather than Facebook.

Hough also said he has prepared his home study to be a place where sermons and podcasts can be recorded, in case of an inability to even gather a few people at the church building to record a livestream in the coming weeks.

Cory Thorpe, deacon at First Baptist Church in Crawfordville, Fla., also noted some struggles with internet traffic to the livestreamed service.

“We found we had too many devices streaming on WiFi, as we were also going to Facebook Live on two different devices on WiFi, and the quality wasn’t great on any of them,” Thorpe said.

On March 22, Thorpe and his team hosted two separate Facebook livestreaming services to attempt to rectify the issue. Thorpe said his church plans to bring in better equipment to create a higher-quality online service in the coming weeks.

“We’ve learned that Facebook Live doesn’t like to give up its video to export to YouTube for archival purposes,” Thorpe said. “We’ve learned a lot about different aux cable configurations and how they work with different devices.”

‘No replacement for … a gathered body’

As the church gathering in person will be postponed for a while, Hooks said he hopes to continue to find ways to utilize technology for the mission of the church.

“We want to continue our mission through prayer, small group studies, personal evangelism and even fellowship,” Hooks said. “Becoming a digital church will help us do that, but there is still no replacement for the church as a gathered body.”

Dillabaugh also said he plans to bring in some upgraded equipment to have a better functioning stream in the following weeks.

By bringing a higher quality camera and extending the stream to the church’s website, as not all members have Facebook, Dillabaugh hopes to maintain a higher-quality livestream that reaches more people.

For some pastors, improving livestreaming capabilities is a permanent area of growth that will continue to aide their ministry, even when the church can return to its regular meeting environment.

“I’d like to use this experience as a means to record/livestream services in the future, after we come back together as the church,” Thorpe said. “Doing that well will take more tinkering and more learning as we use this hurdle as an opportunity for technological growth so that we can continue to know Christ and make Christ known in our community.”

But for others, the livestream is only a temporary solution.

Michael Cooper, pastor of Grace Community Church in Mabank, said he is not partial to online services of any format, but in the current situation, he values the benefits it can bring.

“We are a normative sized rural church. So, online streaming is simply a temporary means until we have the ability to gather together in person,” Cooper said. “Once we begin to meet again corporately, I highly doubt we will continue to livestream our sermons. It’s just not a priority for us.”

As the current environment continues to change, Dillabaugh said it is important to be willing to adjust.

“I’m an Army veteran, and constant change is a part of training for combat, and that’s what I am reminded of as we plan to minister in the middle of this pandemic,” Dillabaugh said. “Plans will be made and then immediately changed.”

NASHVILLE (BP)—In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting has been canceled for the first time in 75 years.

Citing authority provided by the SBC Constitution “in the case of grave emergency,” the decision was made March 24 in a unanimous vote of a body composed of SBC officers, the SBC Executive Committee and leaders of the SBC’s boards and institutions.

The annual meeting, originally scheduled June 9-10 in Orlando, Fla., is not being rescheduled. SBC President J.D. Greear, pastor of The Summit Church in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C., area, said he was “saddened” to make the announcement, but described it as necessary in light of the ongoing crisis and the uncertainty of when it might end.

“We are a people committed to keeping the gospel above all,” Greear said. “And our sole purpose in coming together is to support one another in that mission, catalyzing our collective mission efforts. This year, our unusual circumstances mean we can best meet that goal by not meeting together.”

As of March 24, about 400,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection had been reported worldwide, with more than 17,000 deaths. In the United States, more than 46,000 confirmed cases had been reported, with almost 600 deaths; the numbers continued to increase significantly each day.

In an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which threatened to overwhelm the nation’s healthcare system, government officials at national, state and local levels have declared states of emergency and encouraged or required extreme social-distancing practices, as well as the closure of many businesses, stores and restaurants. Current federal guidelines, including a recommendation to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, have been adopted at various levels—sometimes as mandatory orders. In some places, residents have been ordered to stay home.

‘The right thing to do’

Convention organizers had anticipated the 2020 SBC annual meeting might draw the largest number of messengers since nearly 12,000 participated in the 2010 annual meeting, also in Orlando.

But Ronnie Floyd, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, said continuing uncertainty over whether and when large groups would again be able to gather—as well as concern about when it would be prudent to do so—prompted the move to cancel.

Calling the SBC annual meeting “the most pivotal gathering we have as we advance our commitment to reaching the world for Christ,” Floyd said SBC leaders were “faced with a decision that none of us believed we would ever face,” and described the cancellation as “heartbreaking.” However, he said, “The reality around us nationally and globally cannot be ignored.”

“We know it is the right thing to do,” Floyd said. “We are extremely disappointed in having to make this decision, but God will see us through and give us a way until we are able to meet in person together again. … We know our churches need to focus on ministering to their communities and to those who have been impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic.

“While we will not physically be coming together in June in Orlando, we will be going together in unity as we minister to our churches, our missionaries, our church planters, our seminary students and our own communities.”

Protocol instituted in 1946

The last time the SBC annual meeting was canceled was 1945, during World War II, when the United States government banned meetings of groups larger than 50 people. The SBC was preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary, but instead skipped a year.

The protocol followed this year was instituted by messengers to the 1946 SBC Annual Meeting. The historic decision, set out in SBC Constitution Article XI, Section 4, was reached during two video conference calls.

In a roll-call vote, the SBC Executive Committee voted 77-0 for cancellation, with five members absent. It was followed by a unanimous vote of the body composed of the Executive Committee, convention officers and leaders of convention boards and institutions.

Mike Stone, chairman of the SBC Executive Committee and pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, Ga., said while the decision involved consideration of legal, financial and constitutional factors, he viewed the decision “as a pastor, not a board chairman.”

He added that the fact it was the first cancellation in 75 years “proves this is not a decision that is made lightly.”

“While the constitutional process of voting to cancel is a simple one that involves around 100 leaders, the information needed to actually make the wisest decision is quite involved,” Stone said “The (Executive Committee) staff, officers and legal counsel worked diligently to consider the various results of cancellation.”

Jeff Iorg, president of Gateway Seminary and chairman of the SBC’s Great Commission Council, called the decision “prudent given the governmental directives, travel uncertainties and advance planning needed for the convention meeting.

“The goal right now for Southern Baptists is to ensure our global missions, education and ministry enterprises continue to function effectively—which we are all working together to accomplish,” Iorg said.

Next SBC annual meeting in Nashville

The next SBC annual meeting is scheduled June 15-16, 2021, in Nashville. According to the SBC’s governing documents, postponement of an annual meeting is only an option “if the entertaining city withdraws its invitation or is unable to fulfill its commitments.”

The SBC president has authority to convene a special meeting with the concurrence of the other officers of the convention and the Executive Committee, but no such action is being taken at this time.

Holding the SBC annual meeting either online as a virtual meeting or at various satellite locations is not an option under the SBC’s governing documents.

Although annual meetings have been live-streamed for years, the SBC’s governing documents require all business conducted at the Annual Meeting be conducted by “messengers present and voting in person.” Any changes to the governing documents would require approval of messengers at an annual meeting.

In its meeting in Sept. 2019, the Executive Committee declined a referral made during the 2019 SBC annual meeting to study the feasibility of distance voting and remote participation in SBC annual meetings. The motion was one of many similar ones made over the years.

In declining to study the idea, the Executive Committee cited reasoning that had been cited in declining earlier motions, including: “The complexity of implementation; the vulnerability of sessions to potential technology failures; the accuracy of voting; and the mechanics of conducting business sessions, with messengers seeking recognition for debate. There’s also no precedent for official business to be conducted using virtual methods at annual meetings of SBC state conventions.”

Officers remain until 2021

With the cancellation of the annual meeting, SBC officers would remain in office until their successors are elected at the next annual meeting. Members of many committees would remain in office, as well. The expiring terms of trustees of Convention entities would depend upon each entity’s individual charter.

“I certainly didn’t plan for a third year” as SBC president, Greear said. “But (I) trust that the God who ordains our days will give us strength equal to the task. This is an incredibly important time for the church, as we seek to demonstrate the certain hope that God gives to an uncertain world through Christ.”

The Cooperative Program allocation budget and the Executive Committee and SBC operating budget could be adopted by the Executive Committee, which has ad interim authority.

With the cancellation of the 2020 annual meeting, all ancillary meetings that would have been held in the convention space also have been canceled.

Bill Townes, chief financial officer for the SBC Executive Committee and convention manager for the annual meeting, said the Executive Committee staff would immediately begin the process of “reviewing and assessing all contracts and obligations related to the 2020 SBC annual meeting.”

Townes said organizers would reach out directly to pre-registered messengers, exhibitors and ancillary event planners. He said many questions would be answered in an FAQ section published on the SBC website, adding the section would be updated as needed. Townes suggested emailing other questions to SBC EC staff at annualmeeting@sbc.net.

The SBC Pastor’s Conference is a separate event. David Uth, president of the 2020 Pastor’s Conference and pastor of First Baptist Church Orlando, said as an auxiliary meeting to the annual meeting, the pastors’ conference would be canceled, as well. Uth’s role as president for the 2021 pastors’ conference has not yet been determined.

Even without an annual meeting in 2020, Greear said the mission of Southern Baptists “will go on,” and urged Southern Baptists to find encouragement in focusing on ministry until the 2021 annual meeting.

“The headquarters of the SBC is not in Nashville or Orlando,” Greear said, “nor is its primary impulse for ministry what happens on the convention floor. The headquarters of the SBC is the local church. Our strength is in its pulpits and pews. God has now given us a new challenge, and as he promises, he will give us grace sufficient for that challenge.

“My prayer is that when we come together in Nashville in 2021, we will find ourselves stronger than ever and rejoicing that our God was with us.”

DECATUR, Ga.—In response to the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has formed a COVID-19 work group.

The work group will streamline the flow of updated information across the organization, aid in decision-making and help facilitate timely communications across CBF staff and field personnel, partner congregations and all Cooperative Baptists.

CBF also announced it has launched a website for quick access to COVID-19-related information, including relevant links, updates on CBF events and a CBF-developed resource for congregations to help them prevent the spread of the coronavirus in their congregations.

CBF Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley said CBF leaders have been monitoring COVID-19 and are working to monitor its impact and make informed decisions during this uncertain time.

“CBF staff members have been monitoring the rapidly evolving spread of COVID-19 for months because we have field personnel serving in Asia and all across the world,” Baxley said. “I am deeply indebted to Steven Porter, Sam Harrell, Eddy Ruble and others in our global missions leadership for their extraordinary work in monitoring the situation, engaging field personnel and responding to the challenges that have emerged.”

CBF created the work group “to make sure that we monitor the impact of the virus, discover best practices in response, make the most informed decisions about how to carry out our witness to Christ in the midst of this uncertain time and have consistency across our mission and ministry endeavors in the ways we respond,” Baxley said.

“Because CBF exists for congregations, we are also seeking to learn from congregations regarding their response to the virus, and we will provide resources for congregations on the CBF website, along with updates on how we are adjusting plans for major events, mission participation and other ministries in light of the impacts of COVID-19. It’s important that we seek guidance from the triune God to respond faithfully during these uncertain times,” he said.

Responding to ‘evolving situation’

CBF leadership is keeping COVID-19 in mind as it plans the CBF general assembly, which still is scheduled June 22-17 in Atlanta, Ga., Baxley said.

“The spread of COVID-19 is an evolving situation. We will work actively in our staff, with our officers and with our meeting planners to make sure that we prepare for the meeting in ways that maximize the health of all who participate, and we will communicate actively about measures we put in place,” Baxley said. “Should conditions require a change in plans, we will communicate that as soon as we can.”

The safety of CBF’s 70 field personnel in the United States and around the world is a top priority, Fellowship leaders noted.

Last month, CBF International Disaster Response Coordinator Eddy Ruble sent a memo to all CBF field personnel advising them to take precautionary measures to protect themselves, volunteers, partners and the communities they serve from novel coronavirus, which included limiting nonessential travel.

The spread of COVID-19 has affected CBF’s Global Missions. CBF has evacuated a field personnel family from China, and in conversation with its Japanese Baptist partners, a CBF field personnel family presently in the United States has delayed its return to the region.

Also, CBF field personnel in Asia canceled their annual meeting planned for March in Indonesia, and CBF field personnel who are a part of the Europe team have shifted their meeting online.

NASHVILLE (BP)—The needs of communities around the United States continue to grow in the midst of the COVID-19 global crisis.

With many families unable to maintain proper childcare in light of schools shutting down, college students without a place to live and insecure communities without essential household items, churches are stepping in to bring practical aid.

Green Hill Church in Mt. Juliet, Tenn., has jumped in to help bring food to those who normally rely on school meals for their children. Rickey Baxley, administrative pastor at Green Hill Church, said the church is partnering with the local food pantry and elementary schools.

“Many students receive two meals a day from their school and with schools being out, there was an immediate need to make sure food was available to those students within the community,” Baxley said.

‘They won’t even have to get out of their car’

Green Hill will offer prepared food boxes to families in need in the mornings at the church, he explained. Each box will provide three to four meals for a family of four.

A local company also donated fresh fruit and produce for families to retrieve from the church, Baxley said.

In addition to the boxed meals available in the mornings, Baxley said each evening the church will have full meals ready to be picked up.

“They won’t even have to get out of their car,” Baxley explained. Recipients “just pull up and let us know how many meals are needed, and our volunteers will bring them to their vehicle.”

As of 11 a.m. March 16, the church had provided meals for 10 families and anticipated a growing number in the coming week.

“We are grateful for the privilege of continuing to meet the needs of our community as this season keeps rolling and look forward to using this as a platform to meet the immediate needs and to share the gospel,” Baxley said.

The church’s community was hit hard within the past month when a tornado tore through Mt. Juliet, destroying homes and taking lives.

Finding housing for displaced college students

Immanuel Nashville, also in middle Tennessee, has been making an effort to help find housing for college students displaced by the canceling of in-person classes and campuses closing down.

Barnabas Piper, director for community at Immanuel, said when the church heard of local universities’ decision to move all residential students off campus they acted immediately.

“Those who minister on-campus were quick to notify the church staff and put out word on social media so we could begin to mobilize,” Piper said. “We realized that many of the students most likely to be stranded were international students who could not easily return home because of visa issues, cost and COVID-19 related restrictions.”

Piper sent out a request to Immanuel’s small groups and discipleship groups to see if anyone had rooms or apartments available. Within a few hours, he heard from more than 20 individuals offering housing accommodations.

“We were also put in touch with a number of campus ministries who had banded together to care for students,” Piper said. “This allowed us to connect with a number of international students and find them housing through the end of the school year.”

The eagerness of the church to serve the community has been an amazing thing to see unfold, Piper observed.

“Collectively, the church stepped up to care for people in a time of crisis,” Piper said. “I didn’t even have to facilitate or try to create momentum because the people were so ready to be good neighbors. I simply took the opportunity to give them a chance, and they ran with it.”

No need to reinvent the wheel

Dean Inserra, pastor of City Church in Tallahassee, Fla., encouraged churches to join in with already existing local efforts to aid their communities.

“Don’t feel like you have to create a new ministry or a new program,” Inserra said. “That could be overwhelming, and a lot of times out of our expertise.”

Inserra encouraged church leaders not to fear simply pointing their congregation toward efforts that are already happening.

City Church is working to meet financial needs by directing some of their giving to a local food bank, Second Harvest Food Bank, that is putting together meals, rather than try to start their own meal providing efforts.

“We’re big on not reinventing the wheel or trying to do our own thing when there’s already stuff happening with people who do this kind of thing regularly,” Inserra said. “You’re going to see us join existing ministries and see how we can help them.”

City Church has also been in a longstanding partnership with a local high school and has made themselves available to whatever needs may continue to arise in the coming weeks.

“We are ready to mobilize and help that school in any way we can.” Inserra said.

“Our church wants to know right away, ‘What are we doing?’” to help, Inserra said. “Our church expects that to happen. That’s just how our church thinks. We’ll have people that definitely get on board.”

DALLAS (BP)—GuideStone Financial Resources continues to monitor the developments around the novel coronavirus and has made adjustments for participants in its health plans.

For participants in GuideStone’s health plans, including both HSA-qualified High Deductible Health Plans and Secure Health, GuideStone will waive costs for physician-ordered diagnostic testing for the novel coronavirus.

Additionally, a COVID-19 diagnosis that required a participant to miss work would be covered if a participant has short- or long-term disability coverage from GuideStone through Unum.

“We know these are uncertain days, which can breed anxiety for even the most committed believers,” GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins said. “GuideStone is committed always to honoring the Lord by being a lifelong partner with our participants in enhancing their financial security. As it relates to our health plans and other insurance coverage, we will be a trusted advocate for the churches, ministries, pastors and staff we serve.”

Watching volatile markets

GuideStone has created a resource page on its website with links to trusted resources on the coronavirus. Additionally, GuideStone has provided information related to the market volatility that has resulted in part due to the uncertainty around the coronavirus.

“We cannot be sure of the near-term ramifications of these events on the stock market and whether we will experience a quick bounce back (as we have seen during other corrections since 2008) or a longer-term downturn,” GuideStone chief strategic investment officer David Spika said.

“Two things we will be watching closely are corporate earnings growth and global economic activity, as we believe these are the most important factors in determining how stocks trade from this point forward. If the coronavirus, oil weakness or some other unforeseen catalyst puts significant downward pressure on corporate profits, there are likely to be continued sell-offs in the market.”

Anticipating that a correction was overdue for the markets, GuideStone consistently had cautioned retirement plan investors to revisit their asset allocation in light of their risk tolerance and time horizon during the market’s sustained growth.

That said, Spika said, trying to time the market rarely works in the investor’s favor.

“Market sell-offs can be dangerous for long-term investors because they can trigger fear-driven ‘market timing’ impulses to sell out of positions,” Spika said. “History has shown there’s a real cost to trying to time the market.”

Taking precautions with employees

Internally, GuideStone is taking precautions. Employees who may return from Level 2 or Level 3 countries, including South Korea, China, Iran, Italy and Japan, will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days.

GuideStone has also asked all employees to evaluate whether any conferences, trainings or meetings can be handled through teleconference or postponed until the coronavirus threat is mitigated.

“When we went through our relocation in 2018, GuideStone invested in a more mobile workforce, and all of our participant-facing staff are able to work remotely from their home or other location,” Hawkins said.

“Because of wise and affordable technology solutions, our participants would notice a seamless experience whether an employee is helping them from home or from the GuideStone office.”

Hawkins emphasized for all at GuideStone, trust is not in government or technology.

“We recognize that the Lord is in control of everything, including the coronavirus,” Hawkins said. “Our trust is in him. We are making wise preparations and monitoring the advice and direction of government and regulators, of course, and we are making contingency plans, but at the end of the day, we rest in the assurance that the Lord will guide our steps as we seek his direction.”

NASHVILLE (BP)—As churches across the U.S. and around the world cancel Sunday school and small groups as precautionary measures against COVID-19, LifeWay Christian Resources is making available free resources to help families keep their children involved in Bible study.

LifeWay is offering “LifeWay Kids at Home,” a free temporary digital resource to supplement Sunday school from home.

LifeWay Kids Director of Operations Chuck Peters said LifeWay decided to respond to church leaders who were asking how other churches are keeping families engaged in discipleship in light of church gathering cancellations.

“We quickly became aware there is a broader need of churches we don’t currently serve,” Peters said. “This short-term temporary study is an opportunity for us to serve the church by serving families.”

Initially, LifeWay Kids’ approach was to take care of the churches they already serve through its three brands of kids’ curriculum—“Bible Studies for Life,” “Explore the Bible” and “The Gospel Project.” But almost instantly, Peters said, LifeWay Kids’ vision grew.

“We decided to open it up to everyone,” he said. “This is a chance for LifeWay Kids to pour into the global kingdom (of God). We’re making this free to anyone who wants to use it. It’s an opportunity to serve the church with no strings attached.”

To access resources through LifeWay’s Digital Pass platform:

Step 1: Go to my.lifeway.com/redeem.

Step 2: Register if you are a new user or log in if you already have an account.

Step 3: Enter this redemption code: VZMD4SSQ38 (which churches are free to distribute).

Step 4: Click “Access” (if prompted to sign in again, sign in) and then click “My Dashboard,” and go to “LifeWay Kids at Home.”

Step 5: Download the activity page and one conversation sheet to use while watching the video session.

Users will have access to video content from “Bible Studies for Life for Kids” worship hour, Bible story teachings, life application, and kids talking about the week’s topic. To accommodate families with children of different ages, the “LifeWay Kids at Home” content is not graded and is geared toward first through sixth graders.

Each week’s lesson will be available to registrants on Thursdays at midnight. Parents and caregivers can access the content directly at home from any device.

“An added benefit for churches that use ‘Bible Studies for Life for Kids’ is that ‘LifeWay Kids at Home’ will keep the lessons on schedule,” said Peters. “Once they resume normal church activities they will be where they would have been without the coronavirus interruption.”

There’s also an option for “The Gospel Project for Kids” users, Peters added.

Permission is granted for churches to post non-music videos and activity pages for their use only on a secure and/or closed site.

Participating churches are asked to limit posting each session’s content to one week at a time and remove the content prior to posting the next week’s content. This permission expires May 31, unless specified otherwise.

“This is our heartbeat—to serve the church and equip parents to minister to their kids,” said Peters.

“The coronavirus presents many challenges, but every obstacle is an opportunity. We have the privilege of aiding parents and caregivers—people who may have never done so—to conduct a Bible study in their home. We get to help facilitate that at no cost, no obligation and no strings attached for these churches and families. It’s why we’re here. We’re a ministry first.”

NASHVILLE (BP)—Like other schools that have cancelled in-person courses to deter the spread of COVID-19, all six Southern Baptist Convention seminaries have taken action to move classes online.

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary have chosen to continue the remainder of the spring 2020 semester online. Gateway Seminary will not hold in-person classes from March 16-29.

In a video announcement, Southern Seminary President Al Mohler said his school’s action was “driven by love of God and neighbor.”

“Right now, love of neighbor means that we’re going to have to interrupt the way we do theological education and college education in order to be responsive to the needs that are now presented to us by the COVID-19 challenge,” he said.

Southern Seminary cancelled classes late last week and resumed instruction March 16 with online courses.

New Orleans Seminary announced March 12 it was “suspending all face-to-face classes and other large group gatherings until further notice,” and was moving to online classes. The move came in response to a public health emergency declared by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell which urges citizens to avoid large gatherings.

With North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s declaration of a state of emergency, Southeastern Seminary canceled all classes the week of March 16-20. When school resumes March 23, all on-campus courses and hybrid courses will move to online-only delivery for an indefinite period.

Midwestern Seminary also will be transitioning to a fully online course system for the remainder of the spring semester. All campus events have been canceled through the end of April. The school’s trustee meeting, scheduled for March 30-31, will be held online.

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary announced in a statement: “Effective March 23 through the remainder of the spring semester, all courses will be delivered solely through the seminary’s online platforms.” Southwestern Seminary also stated all chapel services for the remainder of the semester have been canceled.

Gateway Seminary announced it was canceling in-person classes through March 29 and would “announce a plan for the rest of the semester based on circumstances as they develop.” From March 16-29, Gateway’s in-person classes would instead be delivered either online or not held at all, the statement said.