The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic continues to grow and affect our homes, schools, and communities in dramatic ways. As you know, there has been a whirlwind of developments that have occurred since my last letter to you on Friday. We want to communicate to you the most recent updates.
GENERAL CONFERENCE SESSION
On Thursday, March 19, the General Conference Executive Committee will meet to consider several recommendations regarding the GC Session, which include postponing this year’s session for up to two years, reducing the length of the event, eliminating exhibits, and reducing the number of attendees. In addition, several recommendations for future General Conference sessions will be considered at Thursday’s meeting.
“The last thing we wanted to do is postpone GC Session,” said Ted N. C. Wilson, chair of ADCOM and president of the Adventist World Church. “However, after a process of consultation and analysis, in this very rapidly developing setting, we will need to discuss this as an Executive Committee. It is important for our church leaders and members to remember no decisions have been made yet in regards to Session. These are only recommendations to be discussed by the Executive Committee.”
Please visit this link for the full news story:
https://news.adventist.org/en/all-news/news/go/2020-03-17/adventist-leaders-discuss-options-for-the-upcoming-general-conference-session/
PATHWAYS TO HEALTH Your Best Pathways to Health event has been postponed. Organizers hope to be able to reschedule the event in Indianapolis sometime in the future.
IGNITE INDIANA
The It Is Written and North American Division Evangelism Institute meetings that were scheduled to occur during April and May have been canceled. We are working diligently with Pastor John Bradshaw and his team, with plans for Pastor Bradshaw to preach a full evangelistic series from the It Is Written studio in Chattanooga, enabling people to watch the live series via technology in their homes during April and May. This online opportunity will include the entire state of Indiana, not just the Indianapolis area.
We are very excited about this recent development and believe God is leading us in this new direction. All advertising will be done via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms. By utilizing this new method, we believe we have the potential of reaching many more people than we had originally planned. God works in amazing ways! We hope to have more details to report within the next week.
CHURCH PROTOCOLS
The Centers for Disease Control have recommended canceling any events involving 50 people or more until early May. Governor Holcomb announced on Monday that Indiana would adhere to that guideline. Our conference is asking congregations to follow state guidelines as found at this link:
https://www.in.gov/coronavirus/ We are all aware that the state’s guidelines may change at any time.
If your church chooses to meet on Sabbaths:
We ask that you follow CDC recommendations (https://www.cdc.gov ) and Lake Union protocols, such as no potluck meals, no communion services, freely available soap dispensers and hand sanitizers, declaring the church a no-handshake zone, placing offering plates at the back doors of the church rather than passing them through the congregation, and general precautions against congregating in close quarters. In addition, any person who has traveled to a COVID-19 “hot zone” should avoid public worship, as well as those over 60 and those with chronic serious health conditions.
If your church’s public services are canceled:
We are asking our pastors to livestream their messages to members. Some will be preaching from their unoccupied church buildings, while others will be sharing messages from their computers at home. As soon as possible, our conference website (https://indysda.org ) will include a list of Indiana SDA churches which provide livestreaming, along with links to their church sites, for use by our members. In an upcoming online seminar, instruction and information about livestreaming will be provided to our pastors who do not currently utilize this technology.
Pastors and church leaders are encouraged to reach out to members via emails, phone calls, and texts to encourage and pray with one another. All should make special efforts, using appropriate safety measures, to stay connected with and support those that must stay home, especially the elderly, as they are at special risk for loneliness and depression during times of extended isolation.
We are asking all our churches to set up online giving so that members can still return tithe and offerings to their local church from any computer or mobile device. This option is especially important if we are quarantined or face church closures during the COVID-19 crisis. Faithfulness during challenging times is critical for the continuation of God’s work. Our ability to accomplish the mission, provide pastoral coverage for churches, support Christian education, and offer youth ministries at Timber Ridge Camp comes from the faithful giving of God’s people. God blesses as we remain faithful to Him in our financial support. Please click this link to get started with online giving: https://adventistgiving.org/#/%2523
TIMBER RIDGE CAMP
The schedule for summer camp at Timber Ridge is still to be determined.
EDUCATION
All conference schools are currently closed for spring break. Some have extended their break through April 6 and beyond. In addition, some schools are utilizing e-learning until they are able to open again. We are asking our schools to carefully follow the mandates of their local districts. To determine the status of any of our schools, please consult your local school principal.
CONFERENCE OFFICE
The Conference office has been closed to the public this week. We have been working remotely from home, with telephone calls transferring to our support staff members. Out of an abundance of caution, most of the conference office leaders and support staff who attended the recent Lake Union Prayer Conference were advised to self-quarantine until March 22. One of the attendees at the event has been tested for the coronavirus, which necessitated the self-quarantine recommendation. Test results have not yet been released. Our plans are to reopen the office on Monday morning.
OTHER CANCELLATIONS
All conference events have been canceled through the middle of May.
DAY OF PRAYER AND FASTING
Sensing our great need, our conference team is inviting all our churches and members to hold a Day of Prayer and Fasting this Sabbath, March 21. If there was ever a time to unite as a people and seek God and His help, it is now. No one knows how long this viral threat will last and what the financial impact will be upon so many families. We need the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and lives so that we can be His witnesses in these final days. God promises in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
In facing an ever-changing world, we must never forget that there is One who is in charge, and He holds the whole world in His hands. These rapid changes do not catch Him off guard. God’s messenger told us years ago: “Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones” (Testimonies, Volume 9, p. 11).
These are challenging times for all of us. I believe God has placed us in community so that we can encourage one another to be faithful to God and His Word. Our current crisis is preparing us for the final time of trouble that is coming on our planet.
