Shutting down in-person worship during the current rise in COVID-19 cases was described as 鈥渁n act of Christian charity鈥� by a 91原创 pastor who posted an that asks 鈥渁re worship services an essential service?鈥�

They are, but they don鈥檛 need to be in-person, concluded Brad Sumner, pastor of the Jericho Ridge Community Church, located on the 91原创-Surrey border.

While digital church services are not ideal, Sumner said, they still allow a sense of community to be maintained.

Sumner said Jericho Ridge moved almost everything 鈥渢o phone calls or computer screens鈥� in response to the provincial order restricting church assemblies issued on Nov. 10.

Here's what you need to know about the latest COVID-19 guidelines and their impact on JRCC's operations

鈥� Jericho Ridge (@jerichoridge)

That includes youth contact work, prayer meetings, care for the vulnerable, benevolence work, staff and leadership meetings and a congregation-wide AGM.

鈥淚s digital ministry optimal?鈥� Sumner wrote.

鈥淣ope. Is this most recent order 鈥榬eligious persecution?鈥� Probably not, when set alongside the experience of many in church history or the plight of the persecuted church around the globe today.鈥�

READ MORE: VIDEO: 91原创 church defies provincial ban on in-person services for a second time

Sumner stressed his comments were not meant as a swipe at the churches that have defied the order, like the Riverside Calvary church in 91原创.

鈥淗ere at Jericho, we choose not to malign or marginalize those who interpret Scripture differently than us and who consider the current closure of churches unnecessary or unhelpful,鈥� Sumner said.

鈥淎t the same time, if as people of faith we need to close our buildings for a season of time or not ride a party bus or not rent an AirBnB or not visit grandparents on the Island this Christmas, we choose not to believe that this is because the government has a current or future sinister plan to de-seat religion from its place in the fabric of the communities we live, work and worship in.鈥�

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He views the order suspending in-person religious gatherings was written as 鈥減reventative,鈥� not punitive in nature, adding the church chose to comply with the order 鈥渙ut of respect for the sphere of authority (public health) that has been entrusted to the government. 鈥�

鈥淚 hate it that we can鈥檛 gather,鈥� Sumner went on to say.

鈥淵et I feel that choosing to keep our doors closed for a few Sundays out of our 15-year existence as a congregation is an act of Christian charity undertaken for the sole purpose of advancing the common good.鈥�

He added the 鈥淪pirit of God didn鈥檛 seem to be overly enamoured that buildings and gatherings be considered essential that first Christmas, and so perhaps we could un-enamour ourselves with them again for a time in this season.鈥�

dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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