Church is in your heart, not the pew. Ban in-person services in Missouri, Gov. Parson

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s decision to exempt houses of worship from his ban on gatherings of more than 10 people is unwise and dangerous — and as a Baptist minister, I wish Parson would eliminate the religious exception in order to save lives.

Throughout the coronavirus outbreak, Parson has offered timid leadership in response to the crisis. Testing has been too slow. He refused to close schools, and he has been late on measures such as limiting the size of gatherings. Like those poor decisions, his religious exemption means more Missourians will likely be infected and killed by COVID-19. While Parson encourages churches to avoid gatherings of 10 or more, he hasn’t shut them down as other states have.

Preventing mass gatherings remains critical to stopping the spread of coronavirus, which doesn’t stop at the church’s front door. In fact, we already know individuals who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 have sat in the pews and possibly exposed others. For instance, someone who tested positive attended the Springfield, Missouri, megachurch James River Assembly. Another parishioner tested positive after going to a church in Kentucky — after that state’s governor specifically requested churches not hold in-person services. And at least 34 people tested positive after attending a service at a church in Arkansas.

We’ve seen warnings from other countries that church gatherings could explode the coronavirus outbreak. A Reuters analysis in early March of cases in South Korea found that the 31st person to test positive sparked more than 1,000 new cases after attending church services. That analysis also suggested the spiraling infections might mean as many as 80% of the country’s cases at the time could be traced to that one person. Similarly, a church service in France in February led to several more coronavirus diagnoses in other members of that congregation. Parson’s religious exemption sends the wrong message and could prove deadly.

And Parson’s own church attendance doesn’t help. On March 15, he posted photos of himself attending a large church service in Springfield to note on social media that he was participating in the National Day of Prayer called for by President Donald Trump in light of the outbreak. However, Parson’s own church — First Baptist Church in Bolivar, Missouri — announced two days earlier it would cancel in-person services and switch to a livestream after consultation with local medical professionals. Rather than participate in the livestream, Parson instead visited another nearby Baptist church, River Bluff Fellowship in Ozark, Missouri — which is in the county that had half of Missouri’s confirmed coronavirus cases at the time.

That’s not leadership, and that’s not a good example for our state.

As a Baptist minister, I want to see people in church. But I also want to see people stay alive. Part of my faith’s call to love your neighbor as yourself means we should sacrifice to stop the spread of this deadly virus. I pray most clergy will make the right call without Parson’s guidance. But his leadership could also help.

Already, I’ve heard stories of pastors proving that the church isn’t the building — it’s the people. Blake McKinney, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lee’s Summit, told me that after they canceled in-person services starting March 15 and switched to a livestream worship, he found himself preaching not only to members sitting at home, but also exhausted employees in the break room of a Walmart and people as far away as South Africa. Canceling in-person services actually increased the church’s reach.

And even smaller churches are finding ways to minister while keeping people safe. Timothy Schultz of Little Brushy Missionary Baptist Church in Wappapello, Missouri, told me of the “unique blessing” of worship on March 22 as his church did a drive-in service. Everyone came to the church’s parking lot but stayed in their cars to listen as he preached outside with amplification. And Jeanie McGowan, a 70-something interim pastor at Bethel Baptist Church outside Columbia, Missouri, is in her first role as a lead pastor and recorded a digital sermon in advance as part of a service to share with members electronically on Sunday.

I’m inspired by those efforts and so many others as I scroll through my Facebook feed and see pastors ministering to their people with video messages. But I remain uninspired by our state’s leader. I wish Parson had the same faith in science and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the pastors I know are demonstrating. And I also wish Parson had their dedication to loving our neighbors and saving lives.

It’s past time for decisive actions, and that includes removing the unnecessary and dangerous religious exemption for mass gatherings. I’m praying Parson will finally do the right thing.

Brian Kaylor is associate director of Churchnet, a network of Baptist churches in Missouri, and editor of the Baptist magazine Word&Way.

This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Church is in your heart, not the pew. Ban in-person services in Missouri, Gov. Parson."