PFLEGER: In late July, the coronavirus spread rapidly through the pews at First Baptist Gallatin outside of Nashville. George Hinman, the senior pastor of the large multigenerational church that I attend, said, I can accept the idea of having a worship service just for the vaccinated if we also provide another option for people to worship regardless of their vaccination status. D. Michael Quinn, who wrote 10 books on Latter-day Saint history, dies at 77 (April 24), For first time, church to hold Face to Face event for single adults 31 and older (April 23), Church membership withdrawn after Latter-day Saint council for therapist (April 22), See the churchs new infographic about supporting single adult Latter-day Saints (April 22), Historic Latter-day Saint sites to begin reopening in May (April 22). She cited the churchs history of encouraging members to seek their own personal revelations with God. Unfortunately, nearly 40 percent of Americans and a slightly higher percentage in American churches are reluctant to be vaccinated. PFLEGER: But there's no evidence that's true. FLEMING: We had more who have tested positive for COVID in about a 10- to 14-day timeframe than we've had all of the previous 18 months of COVID. June 11 For the Strength of Youth (FSY) conferences scheduled to resume summer 2022 after two years of being postponed. 1 of 3. We need to provide options for all, said Hinman. Eppolito is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. FLEMING: It's a fine line for us as ministers to walk as to how much we say about a vaccine or how much we say for it or against it. James Broughton, the senior pastor of a predominantly African American congregation said, This is such a complicated situationwith so many moving parts. Feb. 4 Utah Area Presidency updates COVID-19 safety measures and returns to September 2020 guidelines; Latter-day Saint Charities provides 30 million meals to children in nine developing countries. The message she has shared with her 8-year-old daughter is that of course Christ would wear a mask, of course he would get vaccinated because hes a loving person, she said. 2023. Yet much of what he says seems to stoke that fear he's so against. The First Presidency outlined, in a letter dated May 19, plans to resume some meetings and activities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on a limited basis using a careful, phased approach. This includes the administration of the sacrament. Image: Kimber Young, top center, teaches training missionaries Mandarin Chinese via video conferencing at the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Jeff Jackson, a Life Tabernacle Church parishioner, told CNN he believes vaccines are detrimental to your health. Patricia Seal, also a Life Tabernacle Church Nov. 26 Limited Christmas lights beginning turning on in the evenings on Temple Square; attendees at any event on Temple Square are required to wear masks and be vaccinated if in the eligible age categories. July 5 The Kyiv Ukraine Temple becomes the last to reopen, offering living husband-and-wife sealings in Phase 1; President Nelson encourages Saints to do all you can to bring COVID-19 numbers down so temple opportunities can increase. I can see the same with vaccinated members. Brenner added, We need to work to ensure that vaccination does not end up dividing existing groups., In general, the idea of a parallel structure for both vaccinated and unvaccinated congregants seems to resonate with these leaders. But if the virus can spread through the vaccinated, then we must continue to use masking, physical distancing, and other means to protect vaccinated individuals from COVID-19 in the same way we protect unvaccinated individuals. A few apps are designed to help individuals estimate their risk of catching COVID-19 at a gathering. There is a lot of distrust of the government, of science, and of Second, fast-spreading variants of COVID-19 in different parts of the world appear to be 1070 percent more transmissible. July 7 FamilySearch announces RootsTech Connect 2022 will be entirely virtual and free, following the format of the 2021 event. Oct. 30-31 ExpoGenealoga, a virtual family history event in Spanish, is hosted in Mexico. PFLEGER: Fleming is vaccinated himself. Dec. 5 Elder Dale G. Renlund and his wife, Sister Ruth Renlund, test positive for COVID-19. This has revealed sometimes how conditional that loyalty can be.. Message to Community Regarding COVID-19 Vaccines (4/25/23) April 25, 2023. Always keep in mind that insufficient COVID-19 testing may underestimate the true infection rate; therefore, in communities with inadequate testing, be more conservative in starting activities. God, lead me. When we gather with others in our churches, we can love our brothers and sisters by protecting them from the harm of this virus. Given that infection rates have skyrocketed in the last few months in many areas, it will be a while before infection rates decline to a level that will permit indoor gatherings for unvaccinated congregants. July 20 First Presidency announces changes to temple endowment ceremony. , Nov. 12 The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square announces upcoming Christmas concert plans: 20 Years of Christmas With the Tabernacle Choir for December 2021 and a prerecorded TV special in front of a small audience for 2022. GREG LOCKE: You will not wear masks in this church. May 6 President Nelson addresses reintegration of Church worship and activities in video on social media. Therefore, the decision on when it is safe for vaccinated and unvaccinated congregants to gather should primarily be based on the level of COVID-19 infection in the community and not on the proportion of congregants vaccinated. Robert Jeffress, who called the vaccines a gift from God, hosted a April 30 New missionary assignments made following April 30 deadline; Church properties for camps and conferences to close, treks and Church pageants canceled for 2020; Church donates $5.5 million to COVID-19 relief efforts across the U.S.; 280 relief projects in 80 countries have been initiated. If these virus variants become more common in our communities as anticipated, then we need the suggestions below even more to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in our churches. PFLEGER: That's what Locke sounds like when he's preaching from the stage under his red-and-white-striped tent. The most trusted members of many communities are in our churches. Meanwhile, other church leaders were sceptical about taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Many members have voiced concerns on social media that pro-mask and pro-vaccine sentiments arent shared by all regional church leadership, with some describing their experiences as bishop roulette.. Last month, the church's top leaders urged members to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Some U.S. political leaders are encouraging people to consult their doctors about the vaccine for coronavirus. First, scientists are still unsure about whether vaccinated individuals who are not apparently ill from COVID-19 can harbor the virus and spread it to others. LOCKE: You get that COVID-19 vaccine, you're going to get sick, or you're going to die, period. Churches may choose slightly higher or lower thresholds for starting activities. That's the approach many leaders of white evangelical churches are taking. March 29 Latter-day Saints and others worldwide follow President Nelsons invitation to fast. President Russell M. Nelson receives a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Salt Lake County Health Department in Salt Lake City on Jan. 19, 2021. Most recently, on Sept. 22, the First Presidency directed the use of face masks in temples and reiterated theirurging for Church members to be vaccinated. Brenda Barnes of Faith Gospel Assembly Church during a news conference in front of The photo is one he included as a submission to the Church History Departments project of documenting missionary experiences during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, which drew 7,000 online entries from missionaries and mission leaders worldwide. It builds on the step-wise plan for church reopening that I wrote in an earlier CT article and provides thresholds of infection for the steps. But with COVIDRisk.Link, a tool I recently developed with others, congregants can monitor their own risk of exposure to the virus on a regular basis and reduce their risk, if necessary, before meeting with others. Respirator masks, protective goggles and protective suits were sent. April 23 Missionary Department encourages missionaries to be vaccinated and those choosing not to will serve in home countries; Tabernacle Choir cancels Pioneer Day concert. Gary Herbert orders statewide mask mandate and halts on casual social gatherings as COVID-19 cases in the state skyrocket. Dec. 31 Wuhan Municipal Health Authorities report a string of pneumonia-like cases to World Health Organization (WHO). The Assembly Hall, Tabernacle, Church History Library and Joseph Smith Memorial Building also reopen. And to hear people say, This is a hoax, it doesnt matter, its not affecting us, when millions of people have died, its heartbreaking.. As COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out, many churchgoers are in a lower priority group for vaccination, and some may never be vaccinated either by choice or due to health reasons. Nov. 5-8 FamilySearch Geraes, a virtual family history event in Portuguese, is hosted in Brazil. I'm sure of the facts. Aug. 3 The more contagious Delta variant is rapidly increasing, accounting for an estimated 93.4% of coronavirus circulating in the U.S. during the last two weeks of July, according to figures published by the CDC. May 25 First Presidency announces 60 temples will resume offering all ordinances for the first time in more than a year, beginning in either June or July. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jesus Brought Relief. Sister Sharon Eubank, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, receives bags of homemade clinical masks at the Deseret Industries in Riverton as part of the ProjectProtect initiative by Latter-day Saint Charities and local health care networks on Saturday, April 25, 2020. 1 of 3. The trust greatly increases when they know it is coming from men and women of faith who are knowledgeable about science.. Dear Members of the Gonzaga University Community, In March of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced government officials worldwide to limit or close many workplaces (including universities), none of us had any idea how protracted or complex But it is important not to exclude people. Jointly published by the Deseret News and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its content supports the doctrines, principles and practices of the Church. Feb. 19 Jerold Ottley, longtime Tabernacle Choir director, dies at age 86 from COVID-19-related illness. March 12 First Presidency suspends Church gatherings worldwide; senior missionaries, missionaries with health conditions to return home from 22 European missions; temple closures total 13. Another 15% identified as hesitant, and 19% said they would not get the vaccine, according to the survey this summer from the Public Religion Research Institute, a polling organization based in Washington, and Interfaith Youth Core. Explicitly stated or not, church leaders are balancing three factors when they consider church gathering during this pandemic: the need and desire of congregants to gather, the rate of COVID-19 infection in the community, and the risk of COVID-19 infection and complications among the churchs congregants. PFLEGER: She says she was searching for a shepherd, not someone who would lead her astray. Why dont more Latter-day Saint women run for elected office, and what would help more of them start to do so? At every threshold of infection in the above table, gatherings can be safer if we ask congregants to reduce their risk of exposure to the virus, and we encourage those with a lower risk of exposure to participate in activities sooner than those with a higher risk. Disease control experts have long recognized the importance of behavioral change in helping people reduce their risk of exposure to an infectious agent. All Rights Reserved, President Russell M. Nelson and the COVID-19 vaccine: What the church leader has said and done, 22 examples of President Nelsons pandemic-related leadership, D. Michael Quinn, who wrote 10 books on Latter-day Saint history, dies at 77, For first time, church to hold Face to Face event for single adults 31 and older, Church membership withdrawn after Latter-day Saint council for therapist, See the churchs new infographic about supporting single adult Latter-day Saints, Historic Latter-day Saint sites to begin reopening in May, including Latter-day Saint missionaries traveling abroad, An innovative dress shirt company from a man who hates dress shirts, an analysis of Supreme Court rulings favoring religious rights, 5 interesting documents and images from the latest Joseph Smith Papers. Dec. 17 The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square records its 2022 Christmas concert in the Conference Center with a limited audience of 4,000. Kimber Young teaches training missionaries Mandarin Chinese via video conferencing at the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, March 25, 2020. I was crying. Dec. 3 BYU Womens Conference announces it will take a one-year pause as options are explored for 2023. As COVID-19 cases surge in the Bible Belt, many preachers stay silent on vaccination. Rev. I'm telling you right now, do not get vaccinated. One U.S. Catholic leader, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, has said he opposes the use of any COVID-19 vaccine with any connection to aborted human Allen, a church member living in Wisconsin, is among a contingent who fear fellow members who refuse to get vaccinated are allowing their political views to supersede their loyalty to a faith that largely prioritizes unity and obedience. Adam Klekowski, executive pastor at Flood Church in San Diego, doesn't doubt that some among his politically diverse congregation of 700 to 800 are refusing to be vaccinated. Nov. 9 Church announces Giving Machines will not be used this season, but the #LightTheWorld service campaign will move forward. July 6 Family History Library reopens to the public after a remodeling during the COVID-19 closure. April 3-4 191st Annual General Conference broadcast from Conference Center Theater and closed to the public, with music recorded from previous conferences. With approval from our physician, my wife, Wendy, and I were vaccinated today against COVID-19, he wrote. Nurse Marie St. Jean administers a COVID-19 vaccination to Rev. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints renewed its prior calls to members to get a COVID-19 vaccine and to wear face masks in public gatherings Thursday. May 28 U.S. death toll surpasses 100,000. Broughton said, Pods are already popping up spontaneously that bring people with lower risk for COVID-19 together. Many church leaders have backed efforts to persuade people to be vaccinated against Covid. July 10 Utah Area presidency urges Latter-day Saints in the state to wear masks in public. Dec. 10 BYUHawaii holds first in-person graduation ceremony since pandemic began, with Elder Carl B. Cook of the Presidency of the Seventy offering the commencement address. President Dallin H. Oaks speaks during the Sunday afternoon session of the 190th Annual General Conference on April 5, 2020. Credit: Screenshot, ChurchofJesusChrist.org. But another church continues to say mask wearers and the vaccinated aren't welcome at worship services. These are being self-managed by the members themselves. March 2 Elder Soares and other Church leaders speak in special devotional for Native Americans, many of whom have been hit particularly hard by COVID-19. Nov. 7 The Pocatello Idaho Temple is dedicated by President Ballard. Feb. 21 Church releases information about missionary work, temple work and worship services for members and missionaries in several Asian countries; Taiwan Taipei Temple and Seoul Korea Temple first to close. June 17 Washington D.C. Temple open house, dedication dates postponed. Our faith leaders have been so consistent from the very beginning, said Sren Simonsen, of Salt Lake City. Nov. 19 The CDC endorses the use of COVID-19 vaccine boosters for all adults. The Beehive House reopened to the public Monday after an extended closure due to COVID-19. Why would you choose the side that doesnt include your faith leader?. The church has also held three consecutive major conferences remotely since the pandemic began. PAIGE PFLEGER, BYLINE: At a recent Sunday service, pastor Travis Fleming stands at the pulpit and prays. Oct. 24 Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performs first live Sunday broadcast of Music & the Spoken Word since March 2020. One confusing aspect is that COVID-19 case rates are sometimes presented as the total number of cases over 7 or 14 days per 100,000 residents instead of the daily number of cases per 100,000 residents. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. March 17 The virtual, prerecorded 2021 Youth Music Festival is steamed in 11 languages. The outbreak could have been much worse, but he says they were lucky. Faith leaders can boost vaccine confidence in their communities by getting vaccinated in public and participating in vaccine education campaigns. An easy first step would be small groups for vaccinated individuals. Kristen Chevrier, co-founder of a Utah-based health freedom group that has advocated against vaccine mandates, said the church should not be involved in health choices, and she worries people are being discriminated against based on their vaccine status. A Relief Society sister from Bucaramanga, Colombia, crafts face masks as part of a local service project to protect others from COVID-19. Jan. 15 A letter from President M. Russell Ballard asks local leaders to look for local youth conference and camp opportunities in 2021; FSY conferences in U.S. and Canada postponed until 2022. 2023. The Mason said the churchs divide is indicative of a larger pattern in the United States of political ideologies shaping peoples religious commitments. Many faith leaders have spoken in support of vaccinations, including Church President Russell M. Nelson, a former heart surgeon who got the vaccine in January and encouraged members to follow his example. Daniel Chin is a physician trained in pulmonary and critical care medicine and epidemiology with 25 years of global public health experience. At the same time, the US is experiencing the most tumultuous and divisive period in its recent history. And thats the only way you can take care of people these days is doing these simple things.. Therefore, this partial-vaccination period is an especially tricky time because the risk of COVID-19 complications for unvaccinated congregants has not decreased, but the desire to gather will likely increase. Feb. 26 Latter-day Saint Charities announces $20 million donation to support UNICEFs COVID-19 vaccination efforts. We are proud to announce that our biosafety center of excellence based in Glasgow has received the prestigious Business Leadership Award at Scotland's Life Sciences Annual Awards 2023, with a 10 million investment, to support the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccines throughout 2021 and 2022. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The spread of the new virus variants, which increase the contagiousness of individuals with COVID-19, makes this more important. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. In March 2020, church leaders suspended all church gatherings and closed temples. The next several months will be a transition period when vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals mingle in our communities, but it is not yet safe to return to normal life. Just 3 percent of all Covid-19 vaccine doses delivered in 2021 went to Africa, home to a fifth of the worlds population, according to the World April 25, 2023. In addition, the use of this assessment tool can help congregants form social bubbles to meet more safely with those who have a risk of exposure with which they are comfortable. The Missionary Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent the following message on Friday, April 23, 2021, to Church leaders in the United States: COVID-19 vaccines are becoming Oct. 22 Church announces annual Christmas concerts on Temple Square will be held virtually, public invited to submit videos. If a significant proportion of people in our communities refuse to be vaccinated, this will prolong the pandemic and its harmful effects on our society. However, some Catholic prelates and evangelical pastors have been sharply critical of the the vaccine campaign and masking mandates, and others have shied away from addressing those issues for fear of angering some congregation members. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. March 31 Church makes adjustments to the Vaccinations section of its General Handbook, encouraging members to safeguard themselves, their children and their communities through vaccination; Belize receives its largest number of COVID-19 vaccines to date as part of UNICEFs COVAX Facility. In mid-August, they went so far as to release a statement calling on members to get the vaccine, which they described as safe and effective.. Oct. 19 John Sai Keong Kauwe III is officially installed as the 11th president of Brigham Young UniversityHawaii after COVID-19 delayed the inauguration in 2020. Crisanta Estayo-Padillas husband shares a scripture with their family as they worship at home on Sunday, March 15, 2020, in the Philippines. Feb. 25-27 All-virtual RootsTech Connect draws more than 1.1 million participants from 242 countries and territories. In 2003, he led much of WHOs support to China to contain the SARS epidemic. However, the idea isnt new; the use of health passes could become commonplace in the coming months. The Church urges its members, employees and missionaries to be good global citizens and help quell the pandemic by safeguarding themselves and others through immunization, the First Presidency wrote in a statement. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. President Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination on Tuesday morning, Jan. 19, 2021. Hill Cumorah finale to be a 2019 rebroadcast, makes adjustments to the Vaccinations section of its General Handbook, 191st Annual General Conference broadcast, to develop a plan to return to in-person Church meetings, phased reopening of 22 Church historic sites, announces 60 temples will resume offering all ordinances, a return to the Conference Center for the October 2021 general conference, Provo MTC welcomes first new missionaries, open house and rededication of the Mesa Arizona Temple, do all you can to bring COVID-19 numbers down, Family History Library reopens to the public, RootsTech Connect 2022 will be entirely virtual and free, announces schedule for a return to Temple Square, virtual devotional commemorating Hill Cumorah Pageants final run, Church History Museum and Beehive House reopen, an estimated 93.4% of coronavirus circulating in the U.S. during the last two weeks of July, releases message urging Latter-day Saints, full approval to the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, new dates for the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple public house and dedication, England and Mexico MTCs will reopen in September and October. Aug. 23 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives full approval to the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people age 16 and older, making it the first coronavirus vaccine approved by the FDA. March 26 President Nelson extends invitation for worldwide fast; First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve announce shortened length of service for missionaries returning to the U.S., Canada. If members have concerns, they should counsel with competent medical professionals and also seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost.. Illustration by Rick Szuecs / Source images: Twenty20Photos / Pressmaster / DavidPereiras / Envato / Anete Lusing / Emre Kuzu / Pexels, Image: Figure by Mallory Rentsch / Data Compiled by Daniel Chin, Image: Table by Mallory Rentsch / Data Compiled by Daniel Chin, First Baptist Church Atlanta pastor lived by the motto Obey God and leave all the consequences to him.. I was scrolling through the photos on my phone and found this. We are proud to announce that our biosafety center of excellence based in Glasgow has received the prestigious Business Leadership Award at Scotland's Life Sciences Annual Awards 2023, with a 10 million investment, to support the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccines throughout 2021 and 2022. Jan. 8 Elder Ulisses Soares and his wife, Sister Rosana Soares, tested positive for COVID-19 during holiday break, according to a Church statement. Allen said she has taught her daughter that wearing a mask is Christlike, but now she worries her child feels like an outcast. PFLEGER: The truth is, in Tennessee, nearly 90% of COVID-19 hospitalizations are unvaccinated people. Missionaries are on board a flight during a pandemic-prompted departure from their mission, as photographed by Sister Joyce Havens of the Tahiti Papeete Mission. But there are outliers who do take a stance at the pulpit, like pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church just outside Nashville. Hopefully this will happen again soon. Web274 likes, 40 comments - Jamaica Observer (@jamaicaobserver) on Instagram: "There were mixed views among some Jamaican church leaders on the taking of the COVID-19 Social media users shared a range of false claims this week. Church leaders can set an example to their congregations by getting vaccinated themselves. This will undoubtedly influence a churchs decision to gather. April 25, 2023. Jan. 29 President Russell M. Nelson reaches out to China, sends protective equipment. (Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Church President Russell M. Nelson receives the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Salt Lake City.