Slideshow image

PBC Family:  

By now most of you have either seen or heard about the governor’s news briefing today issuing new restrictions aimed to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the commonwealth of Virginia.  I’m thankful to report that the new restrictions will not change anything that we’ve been doing since we resumed gathering at Poquoson Baptist Church on May 17.  

But perhaps as you’ve looked at the situation in our state and across the country, you’re wondering why. Why should we continue to meet now, when in some ways things are worse today than they were seven months ago?  

Let me be clear: if you gather with us, you could get Covid-19. And you could be one of the few who are severely affected by the virus. You could die. We recognize that all of this is true.  

But what many Americans (and sadly, far too many Christians) have forgotten is that this isn’t new. Every time you’ve ever attended church in your entire life you’ve taken a risk to be there. Covid-19 is not the first threat to your health and safety, it isn’t the worst threat, and it won’t be the last.  

If you’re one of those who feel the risk is too great right now, we understand if you choose to stay home. We really do. And the elders will not pressure you to be there if you’re communicating with us, so we know why you’re staying home.  

But just remember, by staying home you subject yourself to a different type of risk. If you’re not careful you can lose your appetite for God’s people. If you’re not careful your view of church can change from a people you gather with to an event you watch from the comfort of your television screen. If you’re not careful, you can begin to allow fear to dominate you. So, if you choose to stay home, we plead with you to wage war against these temptations and more.  

But let me take a moment to share another perspective that perhaps you haven’t heard before. You don’t have to agree with me on this but let me share three reasons why my family is comfortable continuing to meet despite the circumstances.  

First, we know a lot more about the situation now than we did back in March. In the governor’s press conference today, he hinted at church gatherings being one of the sources of Covid-19 spread. He didn’t share any specific instances where this has proven to be true, so I can only speak to what we’ve experienced at Poquoson Baptist Church. By God’s grace we’ve been able to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 in our congregation. Since March, we’ve had a dozen or so confirmed cases within our membership and their immediate families. We have yet to see one of those cases lead to the virus spreading to another family in the church. We’ll continue to do what we’ve done. We’ll quarantine if we’re sick or exposed, and we’ll inform those we’ve been in close contact with. And we’ll trust that these commonsense steps will continue to protect the congregation from widespread infection, as they have for the past nine months.  

Second, we know that the death rate is significantly lower than we first feared.  As I’ve already said, you could get sick and you could die. But by the most aggressive estimates, if you get infected with Covid-19 and you’re 10 years old, the mortality rate is 0.002%. It increases to 0.01% at age 25, 0.4% at age 55, 1.4% at age 65, 4.6% at age 75, and 15% at age 85. And experts say the mortality rate has dropped significantly since March. According to Johns Hopkins, although the U.S. has twice as many confirmed cases as any other nation in the world, the case-fatality rate is among the world's best (only 1.9%). Not to mention, there’s a vaccine on the horizon, something we could only pray for when this started.  But if you do find yourself in a category that puts you in a much higher risk bracket (due to health or age), here’s my advice to you: weigh the risks, make a decision, then trust God with the results.  

Third, we know the importance of the local church. For two thousand years, Christians have faithfully gathered every Sunday through some of the harshest conditions imaginable. Through blistering heat and mind-numbing cold, through plague and persecution, through famine and fear, in secrecy and in poverty, in prisons and in concentration camps, God’s people gather.  

Today the governor said that we can worship God wherever we are, suggesting that we don’t have to be together to faithfully worship. With all due respect, Mr. Governor, I strongly disagree. A screen and a couch are no substitute for gathering with the saints. Although we’re grateful for the livestream capabilities that allow us to broadcast what happens when we gather, it is no substitute for actually gathering.  

My grandmother is 87 years old, which makes her much more susceptible to the worst effects of Covid-19. She had a serious case of the virus over the summer and was bedridden for several days. By God’s grace I was able to spend time with her over Thanksgiving and I asked her about her experience. She said, “I tell everybody two things: (1) It’s real, so be careful. (2) Don’t live in fear. Live your life.” That’s the decision she made. That’s the decision I’ve made for my family. I leave it to you to make yours.  

If you choose to stay home on Sunday because you believe the risk is too great for you, the elders understand. Please let your elder know so we can continue to pray for you and shepherd you remotely.  

If you choose to gather with us, please come prepared to join us as we’ve been gathering since May. We’ll continue to wear facemasks, we’ll continue to social distance, we'll continue to take temperatures of kids before admitting them into Sunday School, we’ll continue to worship in our gym where we have more room to spread out and better ventilation.  

Whatever decision you make, let’s labor to love one another and strive to maintain our unity for the sake of Christ and His Gospel.  

Until then, come Lord Jesus.

 

Christ is All,

 

Pastor Hopson