COLLINS, Miss. (BP)—Already heavy-laden with the turmoil of a global COVID-19 pandemic, residents in several Southern states suffered the added burden of a string of tornadoes Easter Sunday.

The National Weather Service received more than 40 reports of tornadoes that hit areas from East Texas to North Carolina. Tornadoes killed at least 27 people, destroyed hundreds of homes and left more than a million in the dark.

‘Still in shock’

“Most everybody’s still in shock,” said Tommy Broom, director of missions for the Covington-Jefferson Davis Baptist Association in Collins, Miss., which includes about 30 churches spread across several communities damaged by strong tornadoes. “It’s kind of unreal.”

Several Southern Baptist churches were among damaged buildings in Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama, and many homes of Baptists were destroyed.

Southern Baptist disaster relief crews sought to respond to the damage while observing social distancing to prevent spread of the coronavirus.

“We’re trying to keep our distance and doing the best we can, during the times we live in,” Broom said. “We need cleanup crews, and many people in our area will need financial support to purchase clothing and basic necessities. There’s lots of houses just totally destroyed. We’ve cleaned roads off where people can get into their homes, and we’ve been cutting trees in the yards.”

Deaths and damage reported

Mississippi bore the brunt of the storm deaths with at least 11 people killed, according to the National Weather Service. Seven deaths were reported in Georgia; five were reported in South Carolina. Tennessee had two reported deaths, while North Carolina and Arkansas each reported one death.

Mississippi Baptists set up a base of operations at First Baptist Church in Soso, a small town 70 miles southeast of Jackson.

In Chattanooga, Tenn., the Hamilton County Baptist Association still was receiving reports of damaged homes and churches, according to director of missions Dennis Culbreth.

“We’ve got churches that are volunteering to help. People have contacted me from other parts of the state, and we’re seeking to do our best to assist these people during this time,” Culbreth said. “And on top of this, you’ve got the coronavirus. … We’ve never dealt with this.”

Bill Mason, co-pastor of Morris Hill Baptist Church in Chattanooga, was removing items from his damaged home after a tornado tore away the roof.

“The subdivision we live in, Holly Hills, it is devastated,” Mason said. “There are houses that are totally destroyed. Some have very little damage. Our house, we lost our roof; a big tree fell on our deck. It’s not livable.”

Mason said four other families from his church also live in the subdivision.

“COVID-19 has taken a backseat right now,” Mason said. “That’s the last thing on my mind. You deal with what’s most important. … We’re trying to find a hotel for the night.”

Volunteers offer disaster relief

Doyle Pittman, Hamilton County Baptist disaster relief director, planned to establish an incident command at Concord Baptist Church in Chattanooga and deploy chainsaw teams after damage is assessed.

“We are hoping to get some software set up where people can turn in their requests (for help) online, rather than having everybody come to an incident command,” Pittman said.

To handle in-person requests, he added, “We’re going to have a table set up outside incident command to interface with people.”

Pittman said various areas of the church will be utilized to maintain social distancing as much as possible.

The pandemic “adds a whole new aspect” to disaster relief, Pittman said. Crews will use protective gear, including masks, gloves and Tyvek suits, which are normally used during disaster relief work, and will likely use a disinfectant on tools.

According to the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, disaster relief is an essential service that is allowed even as the state is under a stay-at-home order, he noted.

“What we’re encouraging people to do down here, at this point, is to help your neighbor and stay out of the way,” Pittman said. “Everybody’s pretty much willing to help, volunteer anywhere they can. We’re just trying to exercise precautions.”

In Seneca, S.C., Southern Baptist disaster relief crews have been clearing trees and pushing debris to curbsides. While the area did not have the highest number of fatalities in the state, the damage spread widest there, said Randy Creamer, South Carolina Baptists’ disaster relief director.

Taking precautions, relying on local volunteers

To comply with guidelines to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, before serving each day, volunteers must have their temperature taken by a first responder. They then must wear a wrist band in order to move in and out of affected areas, Creamer explained.

South Carolina Baptist volunteers have been answering calls across the state, receiving requests for help “from 13 different areas in the state, from the eastern side of the state up to the North Carolina border all the way to Oconee county, which borders Georgia,” Creamer said.

Just on the other side of the state line in Toccoa, Ga., Stuart Lang, Georgia Baptists’ disaster relief director, expects most responses in the state to be in Stephens County, although several teams are deployed across the state, including the northwest corner and the area around Savannah.

“I’m very prayerful and optimistic that we will be able to help a lot of people in the midst of the pandemic,” Lang said.

Sam Porter, the national director for Southern Baptist disaster relief at the North American Mission Board and Send Relief, has encouraged Baptist state and local leaders to utilize local churches, since the pandemic has restricted travel.

State Baptist disaster relief directors have avoided overnight housing in this response, instead opting to make sure teams are close enough to return to their own homes after a day of chainsaw and debris cleanup.

“Thankfully, we’ve got great volunteers who react quickly when a disaster hits their backyard,” Porter said. “Our churches need to be aware and prepared to respond if a disaster hits in their area.”

With additional reporting by Brandon Elrod from the North American Mission Board. 

FORT WORTH (BP)—Meeting via video conference April 7, the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary board of trustees approved structural changes including the elimination of the School of Preaching, which is being folded into the School of Theology.

Trustees also postponed adoption of the fiscal year 2021 budget until mid-July, if necessary, and the school acknowledged it has instituted budget cuts of about 25 percent, including faculty and staff layoffs.

The trustees also authorized the administration to make distributions from the seminary’s unrestricted endowment. The decisions were part of the seminary’s response to the severe economic downturn related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re going to come through this,” Adam W. Greenway said during the seminary president’s report to the trustees. “We’re going to come through this stronger than ever before. We’re going to come through this in a way that I believe is only going to glorify God.”

Like many educational institutions, Southwestern Seminary has been forced by the COVID-19 pandemic to make rapid adjustments, including the closure of campus and moving all classes online for the spring and summer terms, as well as significant long-term changes.

School of Preaching folded back into School of Theology

Trustees voted to rescind, effective immediately, a motion adopted by the board in 2015 to establish the School of Preaching as a separate school of the seminary. All areas of responsibility assigned to the School of Preaching—including faculty, curricula, degrees, centers and programs—have been reassigned to the School of Theology.

David L. Allen, who has served as dean of the School of Preaching, will continue in his faculty role as distinguished professor of preaching and as director of the Southwestern Center for Text-Driven Preaching, overseeing the seminary’s Preaching Source online resources, as well as conferencing and events related to preaching and preachers, Greenway said.

Other cuts were not detailed during the trustees’ meeting. But in an April 6 statement, the seminary announced it was discontinuing its archaeology program “as part of campus-wide budgetary reductions.” The seminary stated it no longer will offer degrees in archaeology “because they are incongruent with our mission to maximize resources in the training of pastors and other ministers.”

Postpone vote on 2021 budget

John Rayburn, chair of the trustees’ business administration committee, recommended adoption of the fiscal year 2021 budget be postponed until “on or before July 15.” The budget normally is adopted during the trustees’ spring meeting. Rayburn said postponement was necessary because “the coming months are hard to predict” amid the pandemic.

“We’ve decided we need a little more time to watch what happens with this and all that’s going on in our world today before we can really come up with a realistic, informed budget,” he said.

Southwestern Seminary’s fiscal year 2020 budget is $34,815,439. In an April 8 statement released to Baptist Press, the seminary said it would achieve “budgetary reductions of approximately 25 percent campus-wide through a combination of faculty and staff position deletions, furloughs, and discontinuation of certain academic programs. These actions realign expenditures with reduced revenue projections while undergirding mission-critical academic programs and continuing the institution’s renewal begun last year.”

Trustees also authorized the seminary’s administration to “execute special endowment distributions as needed on or before Dec. 31, 2021, up to the total amount of the unrestricted portion of the seminary’s endowment,” which was last reported as $13,310,454.

“This is to give our administration the flexibility to deal with whatever comes up that they need to deal with,” Rayburn said.

Changes in faculty and degrees

The board elected three faculty members who had been serving under presidential appointment—Jonathan W. Arnold as associate professor of church history and historical theology, Chris S. Osborne as professor of preaching and pastoral ministry and Carl J. Bradford as assistant professor of evangelism.

Trustees approved four undergraduate degrees in Scarborough College, four graduate degrees in the Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries and one master’s degree in the School of Church Music and Worship. They also voted to revise four master’s degrees.

The trustees also approved a recommendation to amend the seminary’s bylaws. They adopted the Nashville Statement on biblical sexuality for the first time and reaffirmed the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy and the Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood “as official guiding documents” expressing the seminary’s “convictional standards, expectations, and beliefs,” and functioning as “proper interpretations” of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, which serves as the seminary’s confession of faith and is signed by faculty.

Philip Levant, pastor of Iglesia Bautista La Vid in Hurst, was reelected as chairman of the board of trustees; Danny Roberts, executive pastor of North Richland Hills Baptist Church in North Richland Hills, was reelected as vice chairman; and Jamie Green, retired speech-language pathologist in Katy, was reelected as secretary.

In his report to the trustees, President Adam Greenway assured the board that “when challenges come to Southwestern Seminary, Southwestern Seminary always stands ready to meet the challenge.”

“It does mean a call to difficult decisions. It does mean a call to fiscal prudence. It does mean a call toward making cuts today that will enable us to not merely survive but to thrive moving forward,” Greenway said.

Two Texas Baptist Men disaster relief units in Central Texas recently donated about 300 boxes to the Capital Area Medical Operations Center in Austin to help facilitate the distribution of medical supplies in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. TBM volunteers typically distribute free boxes after disasters, providing a practical tool for people affected by events like tornadoes, hurricanes and floods to use while sorting through their belongings. “We are in extraordinary times,” TBM Unit Leader Charles Baker said. “This disaster is so different than anything we’ve responded to. We have resources. Now we have to be creative to respond in ways we’ve never thought about before. We’re actively looking for ways to do that.”

The B.H. Carroll Theological Institute has postponed its convocation—previously scheduled for May 22 at First Baptist Church in Burleson—due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Graduates who would have participated in commencement exercises as part of the convocation will receive their diplomas by mail in May. The convocation tentatively has been rescheduled for Nov. 13.

Dallas Baptist University will host its 11th annual Good Friday service, even though worshippers will be unable to gather physically on campus. Jim Denison, distinguished adjunct professor at DBU and co-founder/president of the Denison Forum on Truth and Culture, will deliver the sermon for the worship service, which will be presented at 8 p.m., April 10 via Facebook Live. To access the service, click here.

Kim Mulkey, head coach of Baylor University’s Lady Bears women’s basketball team, will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The enshrinement is scheduled Aug. 28 in Springfield, Mass. Mulkey is the only person—male or female—to win a national championship as a player, assistant coach and head coach. Over her past 20 years at Baylor, the Lady Bears have won 604 games and three national championships. “Baylor is proud of Coach Mulkey for how she positively shapes the lives of our women’s basketball student-athletes, preparing them as champions on the court, in the classroom, in the community and ultimately in life,” Baylor President Linda Livingstone said.

DALLAS—New moms in West Dallas know they can depend on Brother Bill’s Helping Hand for solid information about how to care for their babies—and for the one-month supply of disposable diapers they receive when they complete parenting education classes.

Typically, expectant women and mothers of newborns attend three days of classes to learn the basics of baby care before Diaper Day, a celebration when they receive a month’s supply of diapers and other infant-care supplies as a reward for their participation in the nonprofit ministry’s educational program.

When group gatherings had to be cancelled after multiple confirmed cases of COVID-19 throughout the Dallas area, leaders of Brother Bill’s Helping Hand decided the two days of instruction mothers completed before stay-at-home orders went into effect would have to be sufficient. Providing diapers and other essential supplies to families with infants took precedence over the final day of classes.

“That’s when we made the decision to move to a drive-through experience” for Diaper Day, said Wes Keyes, executive director of Brother Bill’s Helping Hand.

Instead of a graduation party, Diaper Day in mid-March was a drive-through event, as gloved volunteers loaded supplies into cars for parents, he explained.

Brother Bill’s Helping Hand focuses on three key components—educational programming, healthcare and the essentials of life, particularly food for families in need, said Keyes, a member of Cliff Temple Baptist Church in Dallas.

The ministry—founded seven and a half decades ago by Bill Harrod, a Baptist preacher who saw needs among his West Dallas neighbors and wanted to meet them—now serves about 300 families a week at its grocery store and about 3,000 patients a year at its community clinic.

Churches around the state help support Brother Bill’s Helping Hand through gifts to the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering.

‘Our time to shine’

COVID-19 and restrictions mandated to control its spread compelled the ministry to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, Keyes noted. Families in need throughout West Dallas, Oak Cliff and the surrounding areas have grown to depend on Brother Bill’s Helping Hand for multiple services.

“This is our time to shine. A lot of ministries have become very narrowly focused and specialized. We’ve been a jack-of-all-trades for a long time,” he said.

In the current COVID-19 crisis, the ministry made changes rapidly to find ways to continue to meet a variety of needs in unconventional ways.

“We’re best known for our grocery store. That’s been our on-ramp to everything else,” Keyes explained.

Brother Bill’s Helping Hand offered its first weekly drive-through grocery distribution on March 14. Qualified families receive a month’s supply of food and other necessities.

“We’re providing about $300 worth of fruit, vegetables, meat, frozen food, eggs, milk and other essentials. We even have toilet paper,” said Keyes, a graduate of Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary.

Brother Bill’s Helping Hand put into place strict guidelines to protect volunteers, he noted. Each person who enters the ministry’s building is screened and has his or her temperature checked. No more than 30 masked and gloved volunteers are allowed in the ministry’s building at a time, and they seek to maintain six-feet distance between them as they work.

Grocery recipients are asked to open their car’s trunk or back door for when they arrive at the drive-through. That way, when volunteers deliver the groceries, they don’t have to touch the vehicles.

‘We’re not going away’

Partner congregations in the area, including Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas and Parkway Hills Baptist Church in Plano, have provided in-kind donations of peanut butter, jelly, sandwich meat and bread to help Brother Bill’s serve families with young children who need quick and easy lunches.

Rather than complete forms in personal interviews to qualify for the groceries, Brother Bill’s implemented online registration for the first time. It proved so successful, the ministry hopes soon to begin offering its English-as-a-Second-Language classes through online platforms.

“In the past, we had said, ‘A lot of the people we serve don’t have computers.’ Then we realized nearly all of them have cell phones. Those are powerful tools we can use,” Keyes said.

Working with its partners at Baylor Scott & White Health and Methodist Health System, Brother Bill’s also is using Telehealth to deliver some services and to pre-screen patients who need in-person medical attention.

“This is a crazy and ridiculous time, but we took action quickly,” Keyes said. “A lot of people have had to shut down services now. But we’re not going away any time soon.”

FORT WORTH (BP)—Pieces of papyrus sold as rare fragments of Dead Sea Scrolls to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary a decade ago are “likely fraudulent” and the seminary might seek financial restitution, the school announced in a statement April 6.

“The Dead Sea Scrolls fragments were acquisitions of the prior administration,” the statement said. “Because we have had very little confidence in their authenticity, the fragments have never been on public display since the arrival of the new seminary administration in February 2019.”

The six fragments were purchased in two separate acquisitions in 2010 during the presidency of Paige Patterson, with seed money from Gary Loveless, a Texas businessman and then a trustee of the seminary. While the former and current seminary administrations have declined to reveal the purchase price, comparable pieces—although revealed to be forgeries—have sold for millions of dollars. Loveless could not be reached for comment.

Southwestern Seminary made the statement in response to a media inquiry from Christianity Today.

“The fragments are in a secure location and have not been available to the general public in some years,” the school stated. “The current administration’s lack of confidence in the fragments’ authenticity has been confirmed by an October 2018 report prepared for the seminary’s board of trustees by faculty associated with studying the collection. That report, which was recently provided to the current administration, found that by as early as 2016, some seminary faculty had become convinced at least some of the fragments were possible forgeries.”

Southwestern Seminary also announced it would discontinue its archaeology program “as part of campus-wide budgetary reductions necessitated by the financial challenges associated with COVID-19.” More details on the program’s discontinuance are anticipated after the seminary’s board of trustees meeting, scheduled online April 7.

Patterson touted fragments as ‘valuable artifacts’

Patterson did not respond to requests for comment made through several channels. But while president of the seminary, he lauded the acquisition of the fragments.

“One cannot overestimate the significance of these valuable artifacts for Southwestern Seminary, for Fort Worth, for Texas and for all the Americas,” Patterson said in October 2010. “I cannot but express my gratitude to our Lord for enabling us to be a significant part of this ongoing vital research.”

Patterson was terminated by Southwestern Seminary’s board of trustees in May 2018, according to a statement released then by the school, over his “handling of an allegation of sexual abuse against a student during his presidency at another institution and resulting issues connected with statements to the board of trustees that are inconsistent with [Southwestern Seminary’s] biblically informed core values.”

Adam W. Greenway was elected to succeed Patterson, becoming Southwestern Seminary’s ninth president, in February 2019.

Shared provenance with fakes sold to Museum of the Bible

The seminary announced the purchase of the first fragments in January 2010. Southwestern shares provenance with five fragments purchased by the Museum of the Bible, which were later revealed to be fake. The statement from Southwestern said the school is considering its options to recoup certain expenses related to the purchases.

“We are contemplating legal remedies to seek restitution of payments made by the seminary, as authorized by the prior administration,” the school said in the statement.

Dead Sea Scrolls, first discovered in 1947 by Bedouin shepherds, are believed to have been buried in caves in Qumran along the Dead Sea for 2000 years, predating the earliest scriptural manuscripts previously available. Only a few scrolls were found intact; other specimens were only fragments, which are rare.

The statement from Southwestern Seminary said results from an independent investigation into the Museum of the Bible’s Dead Sea Scrolls collection, which found its fragments were not authentic, “gives us even less confidence in our collection.”

It said the seminary “would welcome” an independent investigation into its own fragments, though it added that the school would not be able to fund an investigation.

“Given that significant institutional resources were expended on the acquisition and promotion of the likely fraudulent fragments,” the seminary stated, “it is not prudent for the seminary to spend further precious funds on them.”

Forgeries of Dead Sea Scrolls fragments have been seen since 2002, according to CNN.

When the United States/Mexico border was closed March 20 to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, it marked significant changes for Texas Baptist River Ministry missionaries who have been seeking to share God’s love with immigrants, refugees and local residents along the Rio Grande.

In El Paso, when a “Stay Home, Work Safe” order led to the temporary closure of schools and nonessential businesses and travel limitations, River Ministry missionary Jesus Galarza saw a huge shift in his work.

Normally, Galarza runs a feeding ministry out of a local school. With the schools closed, Galarza has been unable to continue this ministry. Furthermore, mission trips Galarza had planned with churches had to be canceled or postponed. At this time, he is unsure when these trips will be able to resume.

Galarza asked churches to pray for him and his ministry during this difficult time. Spiritual help is the most important thing churches can give right now, he explained. Pray also for the mission trips that will take place later in the year, after the virus has passed, and that they will be fruitful, he asked.

Serving at-risk individuals

Gloria de la Pena is River Ministry missionary in Piedra Negras, Mexico, who works with women’s prisons, orphanages and migrant camps, coordinating mission trips with churches to serve these at-risk people.

With mission trips no longer happening, de la Pena asked churches to pray for the people in these facilities. One of the orphanages, Casa Bethesda, houses 26 special-needs children, some of whom could be more susceptible to COVID-19.

She expressed hope that during the time of social distancing and working from home, people will turn to God and then find ways to minister safely to those in their immediate surroundings. De la Pena encouraged churches to ask God to turn setbacks into blessings.

“Pray that everyone can use this quiet time working at home to look to the Lord, learn to have more gratitude and a happy heart, and love our families, friends and all the people who need to know about Jesus,” she said.

Unable to enter immigrant camps

River missionary Cristina Lambarria serves in Matamoros, Mexico, where she works in immigrant camps, providing food, clothing and other resources, including English classes. However, she and her team have been unable to enter the camps because of the risk of infection. It is both unsafe for them because of the crowded living conditions and unsafe for the immigrants, who could be exposed to the virus, she explained.

“Nobody can go into the camps right because we want to protect them. If one gets sick, everyone will get it. They are in communication all the time. They cannot be like us in their homes. The restrooms are outside, and they have to cook in a communal kitchen. So, we decided not to go in the camp right now,” Lambarria said.

Lambarria asked churches to lift up the immigrants in prayer, asking God to protect them from the virus. She also asked for prayer as workers look for ways safely to get food and other resources to the immigrants in the camps.

A vulnerable context

Shon Young is a River missionary in Del Rio, where he is the president of Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition. Val Verde was formed in April 2019 when Border Patrol agents approached local churches about ways to respond to the increased number of immigrants passing through Del Rio.

The coalition provides supplies and helps immigrants reach their final destination in America. Val Verde has served thousands of immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees, but with the border closure, both needs and strategies to meet those needs have grown more complex.

“There are so many variables, and we are really trying to keep our eyes and ears open to the chance to minister to those in crisis,” Young said. “Please pray for the border and the congregations on both sides of the river. It is already a vulnerable context with problems that vary from the rest of Texas and adding an extra layer on it will be difficult. Please pray for pastors of the churches that already run on a tight budget and that their churches will continue to support their work even in an atmosphere that people are not able to work or are working less.”

Santiago Garcia Jr., retired pastor/evangelist, died April 3. He was 89. Garcia was born April 27, 1930, in San Antonio to Sotera and Santiago Garcia. After answering the call to the gospel ministry at age 18, he studied theology at Mexican Baptist Bible Institute, now Baptist University of the Américas, where he was one of three in the school’s first graduating class. As a student, he was pastor of Memorial Baptist Church in Pleasanton, a mission of First Baptist Church in Pleasanton, which licensed him to preach. He established ministry points in Christine, Charlotte, Poteet and Jourdanton. In 1950, he started a mission of South San Antonio Baptist Church, which ordained him. The mission constituted as Iglesia Bautista Sur San Antonio in 1952. The congregation was self-supporting from its inception, a feat highly uncommon at the time among Texas Baptist Spanish-speaking congregations. He joined the Houston-based Gene Williams Evangelism Association as an associate evangelist and led revivals in Texas, Mexico, Central America and Puerto Rico. During five decades in ministry, he was pastor of Iglesia Bautista Buen Pastor in Del Rio, Westlawn Baptist Church in San Antonio, Bonita Gardens Baptist Church in Houston, Seacroft Baptist Church in San Antonio, Northeast Hispanic Baptist Church in Converse and Iglesia Bautista in Somerset. In retirement, he continued to serve part-time as pastor of churches in Sutherland Springs, Elgin and Waelder. He served Texas Baptists on several denominational boards, including Baptist Memorial Hospital System in San Antonio. He was a member of the Convención Bautista Mexicana de Texas Committee of Seven, which recommended the convention’s historic unification agreement. He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Delia Pachecano Garcia; seven children; 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

DALLAS (BP)—People who lined up for meals recently at Cornerstone Baptist Church in South Dallas had not been able to shower in a month and had no place to call their own while the city of Dallas is under a shelter-in-place order.

Moving through the line while keeping six feet apart, each received a hot meal from church volunteers wearing protective gear and then wandered back into unsanitary conditions on the streets.

“Our numbers have doubled within the last couple of weeks because a lot of places that were feeding are now shut down,” Cornerstone Pastor Chris Simmons said. “Yesterday, to be honest with you, with the homeless not taking a shower in almost a month … it just broke our hearts. So, we’re trying to figure a way to be able to allow them to come in and take showers.”

Cornerstone serves the homeless six times each week, offering two meals each Sunday and daily meals every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Last week, Cornerstone served about 450 people at each meal. The church also operates a free laundromat as an essential service exempt from the Dallas County stay-at-home order, but the church’s clothing closet and twice-weekly showers are closed temporarily.

‘In danger every day of their lives’

For the homeless population, Simmons surmises, the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic is life as usual.

“I think they feel like they live in danger every day of their lives,” Simmons said. “I think they’re concerned, but I think their daily life is a struggle like this. And I think what’s happened now is the whole world is realizing what they go through on a daily basis.”

Ten fellow churches in Dallas Baptist Association are partnering with Cornerstone to serve the homeless community during the COVID-19 pandemic, including Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.

But the increased need among the homeless comes as Cornerstone’s financial receipts are down about 75 percent, Simmons said. In 2019, the congregation averaged 750 in Sunday worship from a membership of about 1,700.

With the church closed for congregational worship during the pandemic, worship services streamed on Facebook Live have attracted a larger audience, Simmons said, but he added that many members are elderly and not comfortable with online giving.

Many Cornerstone members are employed in service and retail jobs, and they are taking a financial hit as their jobs are no longer available.

Prepared for the challenge

Simmons thanks God that the church was prepared for a financial challenge such as this.

“Praise the Lord, thankfully, I was around in ‘08 when … we went through the recession,” Simmons said, “and was determined that if we ever go through [an event] like that again, we wanted to make sure we had savings. And so, we have always tried to be very frugal in our expenses. We’ve had to dip into savings, but thankful we had savings to dip into.

“Now, if it goes a lot longer, then we might feel the crunch of that.”

Simmons said he wasn’t familiar with the details of the CARES Act stimulus bill but was looking into the opportunities provided by the legislation to relieve financial pressure on churches and other faith-based nonprofits.

Park Cities Baptist Church is assisting Cornerstone by providing hot meals on Thursdays from a barbecue restaurant owned by a Park Cities member, Park Cities missions pastor Damon Berry said. Beginning April 7, Berry said, the church will begin offering sack lunches each Tuesday.

“It’s become harder for homeless people to find the resources they need, harder for homeless ministries to get the resources they provide, because their supply chains are limited from what they normally have,” Berry said. “Since stores are selling more of their products, less is going to nonprofits that would normally distribute that.”

Homeless shelters have smaller capacities because of social distancing guidelines, and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center of Dallas is housing overflow at night. Homeless persons must leave the center each day, returning at night. Many sleep in tents, cars or vacant buildings, Simmons said.

Of some 25,000 homeless people in Texas, about 4,500 of them live in Dallas and about 1,600 are considered unsheltered, the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance said in March, based on numbers gathered in January. The 500,000 homeless people in the United States are among the most vulnerable as the COVID-19 death toll rises.

In the United States, COVID-19 has killed more than 7,600 out of more than 304,000 confirmed cases of infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

In Texas, COVID-19 has infected more than 6,800 and claimed 127 lives. On April 5, Dallas County officials reported 1,112 confirmed cases and 18 deaths.

BELTON—For 80 years, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor has held its annual Easter pageant during Holy Week. Regardless of weather or other circumstances, the pageant—which typically draws thousands to the Belton campus—never has been cancelled.

When it became obvious restrictions related to COVID-19 would make a traditional pageant impossible, organizers began brainstorming how—rather than cancel the event—they might make it extraordinary.

“We didn’t want this tradition that has gone on for 80 years to just not happen,” Precious Anselm, this year’s pageant director said.

Organizers decided the 2020 Easter pageant would be presented online, featuring footage from past productions and testimonials from people who have been involved in the pageant over the years.

‘Look a little different’ this year

The website for the 81st Annual Easter Pageant Experience promised the event would “look a little different” this year. It stated a special production would be livestreamed April 8 at 5:30 p.m.

UMHB posted a video inviting anyone who has ever taken part in the Easter pageant to submit stories about their experiences. While organizers were not sure how much footage to expect, the response was overwhelming, with dozens of submissions sent within the first few days.

“It’s been really eye-opening and inspiring to see how many videos we’ve gotten,” Anselm said. “We’ve heard from people who were involved more than 30 years ago.”

The pageant organizers not only received videos from students and alumni who served as cast members or helped with productions, but also heard from members of the community for whom the pageant has become a cherished Holy Week tradition.

“It goes to show that at every Easter Pageant, seeds are being planted,” Anselm said. “We are hearing stories of people who found salvation or came closer to God through this tradition.”

Anselm acknowledged the 2020 pageant was not the production she first imagined last year, but she expressed faith it would be powerful.

“It was easy to get into the mindset of being upset, but it’s clear that the Lord is doing something here,” Anselm said. “He has a plan that is bigger than mine.”

Emma Spellings, who was cast in the role of Mary this year, agreed. While “stay at home” orders meant this year’s pageant would not draw crowds physically as in years past, it also meant more people would be at home and able to watch it live together.

“I have a very strong feeling that all of this is going to be used by the Lord for kingdom growing,” Spellings said. “That’s been really sweet to think about that.”

For more information about this year’s Easter Pageant Experience, visit the event’s official website: umhb.edu/easter-pageant.

With the rise of COVID-19, Texas Baptist hospital chaplains face new challenges as they minister to healthcare workers, patients and families, sharing God’s love and hope in difficult circumstances.

Beaumont reported its first confirmed positive case of COVID-19 March 18 and its first coronavirus-related death April 1.

Even before the virus was widely present in the region, hospitals began treating every person who walked through their doors as a potential carrier, said David Cross, director of Pastoral Care for Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas and a chaplain endorsed by Texas Baptists. Visitors were restricted and allowed to enter only in extreme circumstances.

Chaplains are unable to have direct contact with any patients who may have the virus due to insufficient supplies of personal protection equipment, such as masks.

Chaplains care for caregivers

These circumstances have led to a heavier emphasis on healthcare worker ministry, as they are the individuals on the front lines in battling COVID-19, Cross noted. Healthcare workers face a difficult workplace environment, in addition to adjusting to the same rapidly changing circumstances affecting everyone.

“There is a great deal of stress in our caregivers as they help the patients with professionalism, while also dealing with personal crises like kids at home, spouses out of work and other new difficulties,” Cross explained.

Cross has seen God’s provision. Harmony Baptist Church in Vidor donated to the hospital 19 cases containing 4,560 masks the church had on hand from Hurricane Harvey clean-up. Cross urged local Baptist associations and churches to look through their own stocks to see if they have any medical supplies that could be donated to hospitals.

In addition to the supplies, Cross also asked churches to pray for the chaplains and healthcare workers during this stressful time. He urged people to remember to thank and reach out to hospital workers—not only doctors and nurses, but also technicians, custodians and administration. They are all risking exposure to COVID-19 as they continue to serve patients, he noted. He particularly requested prayer for the senior hospital administration, who face new problems in the uncharted days ahead.

‘Real people are hurting’

In the Dallas area, COVID-19 cases already have inundated the hospitals. Mark Grace, chief of mission and ministry at Baylor Scott and White Health, explained the outbreak has moved along as it was predicted.

While many individuals are exceptionally open to spiritual conversations, Grace expressed deep regret about the reason behind that openness.

“Real tragedy is happening now, and I feel the weight of it. Real people are hurting. And I believe we are called to join God in responding to these tragedies with compassion and love,” he said.

Ministry to COVID-19 patients is limited to telephone calls and video visits because of infection risks. Many of the new spiritual meetings are with staff, who are facing new challenges, both at work and home. Grace explained that the situation is isolating for patients, healthcare workers and even chaplains.

“They’re engaging in a work that has become significantly more dangerous” in recent weeks, he said. “On the one hand, I’ve had lots of people reaching out and asking what they can do to help. Emails, texts and other consistent reminders of your love and prayers are needed more now than ever.

“But I’ve talked to some chaplains whose extended family members or friends are asking them not to come to their house anymore [because of the risk of infection], and are not expressing any support or concern.”

Offer prayer support

Above all, Grace asks churches to remain prayerful and engaged. The power of prayer is strong, he said, and it is a great way to minister to the community without risking infection.

Furthermore, Grace wants Christians to be a strong network of support. Instead of “social distancing,” Grace prefers the term “physical distancing,” explaining that people should be physically far apart, but more connected through social and spiritual means than ever before.

“We’re called upon to be physically distant, but be more socially available than ever before, just through different means,” Grace said. “The best, practical help is prayer and reaching out to people.”

Texas Baptists’ Cooperative Program supports a wide range of ministries in Texas, including four hospitals/health systems providing care to thousands—Baylor Scott & White Health, Hillcrest Baptist Health Care System, Hendrick Baptist Health Care System and Southeast Texas Baptist Hospital. In addition to the work of doctors and nurses, these facilities offer care through a team of chaplains working to meet the spiritual needs of their patients.

“Texas Baptist churches can find comfort in knowing that even in an international crisis, their investment in the Cooperative Program is working hard to minister to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chris Liebrum, director of Texas Baptists’ Cooperative Program ministries.

NASHVILLE (BP)—An Interim Final Rule published by the U.S. Small Business Administration provides assurance that churches and other ministries are in fact eligible to receive loans as part of a massive financial stimulus bill passed by Congress.

Some experts view the interim final rule as providing assurance faith-based nonprofits will not face potential conflict with religious liberty protections.

The Paycheck Protection Program—enacted as part of the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Securities Act to relieve economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic— set aside $350 billion to guarantee loans to businesses employing fewer than 500 employees for expenses like payroll, utilities and rent or mortgage payments.

Nonprofits, including churches and other religious ministries, are eligible to receive funds covering up to 2.5 times their average monthly payroll, with a cap of $10 million per loan.

Before the interim final rule was issued, concerns had been raised that federal regulations associated with loans guaranteed through the SBA could require recipients to comply with nondiscrimination regulations in categories including religion and sex.

Worked to provide clarification

Although churches would be constitutionally protected, organizations including the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, as well as legislators from both political parties, worked to clarify the issue.

The interim final rule provided guidance stipulating: “All loans … will be made consistent with constitutional, statutory, and regulatory protections for religious liberty …”

It reiterates an SBA regulation that states: “Nothing in [SBA nondiscrimination regulations] shall apply to a religious corporation, association, educational institution or society with respect to the membership or the employment of individuals of a particular religion to perform work connected with the carrying on by such corporation, association, educational institution or society of its religious activities.”

Additional guidance was expected to be issued by the SBA. Its intent is two-pronged: To help lenders understand the program does not exclude faith-based organizations; and to help churches and other faith-based nonprofits understand the religious liberty protections.

Travis Wussow, the ERLC’s general counsel and vice president for public policy, said he was grateful for the resolution and expressed gratitude for the work of the Trump Administration throughout the process.

“It is significant that SBA’s new regulations state that the religious freedom rights of houses of worship and faith-based nonprofits will be upheld in this new loan guarantee program,” Wussow said. “We look forward to further guidance from the Administration, and we’re grateful for the hard work being done to ensure that this new program works for houses of worship.”

‘Clear huge hurdles’

Before the interim final ruling was issued, Jonathan Whitehead, an attorney specializing in First Amendment law, said he had advised churches seeking his counsel “to wait and see” what the SBA guidance would say before applying for a loan under the program.

By Thursday evening, the concerns about religious liberty protections had been resolved, Whitehead believed.

“I’m thrilled to see the ERLC and others working to make sure the paychecks of all Americans are protected, without changing the religious beliefs of employers,” Whitehead said after the interim final rule had been released.

“This will clear huge hurdles for many ministries. I hope to see additional guidance that would make clear services provided by some religious groups, like weddings, retain their full, First Amendment protections.”

While work was underway to assure religious liberty protection, several members of Congress pushed the SBA to issue guidance to lenders that nonprofit organizations, including churches and religiously affiliated organizations, were eligible to apply for loans.

Bipartisan support

In a letter to SBA head Jovita Carranza, Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) noted the expanded access of the CARES Act as compared to section 7(a) loans from the SBA which “exclude some organizations because of their principal religious purpose.”

Hawley wrote in support of churches and other religious organizations claiming they should be eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program as it “instructs lenders to consider only organization size, whether the organization was operational on February 15th, and whether the organization paid salaries and payroll taxes at that time” instead of disqualifying certain applicants based on their “principal purpose” as might be the case with other SBA section 7(a) loans.

This intent for the eligibility of churches was echoed by a quartet of congressmen from both sides of the aisle.

Cedric Richmond (D-La.), Mike Johnson (R-La.), James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Steve Scalise (R-La.) wrote in a separate letter to Carranza, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia that “while the definition of non-profit organization in Section 1102 explicitly applies only to the paycheck protection program under Section 7(a) of the Small Business Act established by that section, we can assure you that Congress did not intend to require non-profits to possess an exemption determination letter to be eligible for assistance through any other section of the CARES Act either.”

The letter also stated that “many houses of worship and their congregations would suffer great harm if they are not eligible to receive the assistance Congress intended for them to receive.”

While the issue regarding nondiscrimination requirements has been resolved, it highlighted concerns of some pastors and other religious leaders who say they are leery of accepting governmental aid because of potential entanglement with the state.

Even if churches were to choose not to apply for the loans, Whitehead noted that the Paycheck Protection Program could still provide indirect aid to churches, since some church members who own small businesses might participate.

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.