After much discussion and prayer as well as talking with our deacons and listening to the counsel of the civil and medical authorities, the pastors of Liberty Baptist Church have decided to cancel all services for this Sunday, March 15, 2020. This decision was not made lightly; it was difficult and weighty. We cherish worshipping together with our church body and believe it is of the utmost importance, but we believe it is best and loving to postpone our worship gathering in an effort to protect our church members and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 (i.e., the “coronavirus”). Below is our attempt to answer some of the questions you may have.
Why are you cancelling Sunday’s services?
This week our president, governor, and the mayor of Kansas City declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national, state, and local emergency. Though some have downplayed its significance, reliable sources have led us to believe that COVID-19 is a very real threat that we must address now rather than later. It is not our intention to wrongly scare anyone, but as noted in this article, there is potential that “between 160 million and 214 million people in the United States could be infected over the course of the epidemic [now pandemic].” As well, “Studies of previous epidemics have shown that the longer officials waited to encourage people to distance and protect themselves, the less useful those measures were in saving lives and preventing infections.” It is possible that if we are appropriately cautious and calculated, then our “interventions might decrease the worst-case numbers.”
We believe cancelling this Sunday’s services is a way to love our church members. For many people—especially the elderly—contracting the virus can be lethal. We cannot bear the thought of potentially losing even one of our members because we failed to act preventatively.
We believe this decision is a way to love our neighbors. Hospitals do not have the capacity to treat all critically-ill patients at once. In order to minimize the rising death toll, we have to slow down the spread of the virus and one tangible way to do this is by not gathering in large groups.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has recommended that faith-based organizations with 250+ people in their gatherings should cancel their services in order to mitigate the spread of this pandemic. As of now, we average more than 300 total attendees altogether on a given Sunday morning.
We also moved forward with this decision because there are many other churches in our area, and across the country, that have come to the same conclusion and will also be cancelling Sunday’s services. Their decision is not the primary reason for ours, but it does serve as an affirmation that we are not alone in our concerns.
Are we still having Equipping Groups or our Members’ Meeting?
No. In addition to cancelling both our 9am and 10:45am service, we are also cancelling all Equipping Groups and our Members’ Meeting that was scheduled for Sunday evening. As soon as we regularly resume our Sunday morning gathering, we will organize a specially-called members’ meeting to make up for this cancellation.
Will Wednesday evening activities be cancelled too?
Yes. All Wednesday evening activities will be cancelled, which includes Missional Community Groups and all youth and children activities.
How many weeks will this last?
Obviously, this decision immediately applies to this Sunday, March 15. However, we—like every other person—don’t know the future concerning COVID-19’s spread in the United States. So, this decision is also indefinite. We will continue to monitor the situation week-to-week and update the church as we receive more information. For every subsequent week, we will let our church members know about Sunday morning services by the preceding Friday morning.
Are we violating Hebrews 10:25 by not gathering?
We do not believe so. Concerning “one another,” Hebrews 10:25 says that we should “not [neglect] to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but [should encourage] each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” It is not our desire to neglect our regular gathering, which is why this decision was a difficult one to make. It is not our preference—nor is it our goal—for this to be a regular occurrence at our church. We believe it is important to clarify that we aren’t making this a habit; with a loving motive for the welfare of our neighbors generally and our members specifically, we are temporarily doing what we believe necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19. What’s more, we believe our decision to not gather together “today” will allow us to actually gather together “tomorrow.”
Pastor Ronnie Martin put it this way in his article: “We’re not neglecting to meet together (Hebrews 10:25) because special circumstances have led us to a brief moment in our church history when the most loving thing we can do for the health and safety of our neighbors and congregations is to suspend our gatherings for a time. Equally important is making sure that we are obeying the Lord by being subject to the governing authorities (Romans 13:1).”
What should I do this Sunday for worship?
There will not be a livestream available, but we want to encourage our members to utilize this Lord’s Day as a time of worship with your family. Together—with your family and/or other LBC members—we suggest praying through these requests, singing these songs, and listening to and reflecting on the following sermon:
Song: “Only a Holy God”
Song: “This is My Father’s World”
Song: “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)”
Sermon: “Divine Sovereignty: The Fuel of Death-Defying Missions” by David Platt
For a list of other songs to sing with your family, see this playlist.
For former sermons preached at Liberty Baptist Church, see this link.
In accordance with the SBC’s “Day of Prayer for the COVID-19 Global Pandemic,” please pray for the following:
1. Ask God, in His mercy, to stop this pandemic and save lives, not only in our communities but around the world, particularly in places that are unequipped medically to deal with the virus. (Isaiah 59:1-2)
2. Pray for President Donald Trump and other government leaders—international, federal, state, and local—to have the wisdom to direct us in the best courses of action for prevention and care. (Romans 13:1–4)
3. Scripture says: “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” Pray that the Lord will give us wisdom in this moment of fear as the foundations of what we know are shaken, that others would realize how fragile life is and how real eternity is, and they would see their need to turn to God. (Psalm 90:12)
4. Ask God to protect our missionaries and their families around the globe, using this global crisis to advance His Good News to the whole world. (Mark 16:15)
What if I am in need of help?
If your job is affected by this pandemic and you are in need of financial support, please contact Jed Hayes or Mike Rzepka, our deacons of benevolence, or talk with a pastor. Also, if you are in need of something, such as groceries or meals, and are unable to get these, please contact any of our pastors or deacons. Our church staff will also be accessible throughout the week during their normal office hours. We would all be happy to assist you.
How should I respond to this crisis?
We encourage you to use this as an opportunity to meditate on the truth of God’s word. The world is being dominated by fear and anxiety. But we are a redeemed people with an unchanging hope. The Lord often uses his people in times such as these to be a light in our dark world. If you find yourself tempted to fear, please consider fixing your heart on the Scripture below.
Psalm 62:5-8: “Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken. My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock. My refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before him. God is our refuge.”