As a reminder, I leave for South Africa on Monday, March 19, to attend a church dedication in Johannesburg on Wednesday. My son Randy, and his son Oscar, will accompany me. We plan to be in Zimbabwe for Good Friday and Palm Sunday and then attend the first five days of the Zambia Easter camp meeting before returning home April 6.
Several others are also scheduled to travel abroad in the next few months. As we pray for the following travel plans and events, we know God will bless:
Mar 19-April 6: Darrel, Randy, and Oscar Lee to Southern Africa.
Mar 23-April 7: Wayne and Lisa Butler to Norway for Palm Sunday and the Easter camp meeting.
April 16-26: Bill McKibben to South Korea to visit our churches.
April 24-May 16: Sam and Shade Ajayi to Brazil and Peru to visit our churches.
April 30-May 11: Darrel and Debbie Lee, and John and Rodica Musgrave to Romania for church dedications.
May 3-11: Mark and Rosemary Worthington to Jamaica.
May 29-June 13: John Musgrave to Nigeria and Ghana to visit several of our churches.
West Coast Pastors:
As you are aware, there is now an active spread of COVID-19 (corona virus) in multiple locations throughout Oregon, and the majority of individuals who have contracted the virus were infected from unknown community sources. In an effort to contain further spread, the State of Oregon has issued a mandate restricting gatherings of over 250 people for the next four weeks.
As a result, our schedule of services and other events must be modified. Beginning today through Saturday, March 28, all services and other events at our Portland church are cancelled. The headquarters office will be closed to visitors, though there will be a limited staff presence, including a receptionist to handle phone calls.
We will re-evaluate the situation during this two-week period, and make a determination about our church schedule going forward from that point. Updates will be posted on our website at www.apostolicfaith.org.
We will be webcasting services from our archives during our regular service times until services resume.
Though your gatherings may number less than 250, we recommend that you consider taking the same approach, cancelling all activities through March 28.
To our pastors:
When a local government jurisdiction announces an emergency declaration with regard to COVID-19, please comply with their recommendations. If the measures are mandatory, we must comply. If the measures are recommended and somewhat subjective rather than mandatory, please employ measures that are consistent with the recommendations.
For example, if it is officially recommended that those with underlying health issues remain at home from church, please request that of congregation members. If it is recommended that groups greater than a certain number in size not gather, we should take measures to comply. This may require discouraging those at highest risk from attending church services, curtailing the number of services per week, or even canceling all services for a period of time.
In locations where no official emergency declarations have yet been made, be very careful to take appropriate health and safety precautions, and encourage congregation members to do so as well.
Do not hesitate to contact your district superintendent or director if you have questions.
With regard to this current pandemic, there is much uncertainty. During our March 5 meeting here in Portland, we drew attention to our wall-mounted and disposable hand sanitizers and suggested greeting one another with a fist bump rather than a handshake. That statement was met with some chuckling, perhaps more for the way the suggestion was presented than any doubt about its advisability. At that moment, COVID-19 seemed a somewhat remote threat to many, though our concern merited addressing it. Three days later, on Sunday, March 8, we met in the Portland sanctuary for services as usual. We have not assembled for a church service since. That is now the case of Apostolic Faith churches worldwide.
When we consider how fast and to what extent events have unfolded from day to day since we last assembled in our church sanctuaries, it is difficult to predict what conditions will be like thirty, sixty, or ninety days from now. Portland camp meeting is scheduled to open on Sunday, June 28, which is eighty-four days from this Sunday.
Last Sunday, I mentioned during a webcast from our empty Portland sanctuary that we expect to proceed cautiously in returning to our normal schedule. That remains the case. It is clear that it will be some weeks before we can gather again in our sanctuaries without putting attendees’ health at risk. When this pandemic subsides, closures throughout society will begin to open slowly, gradually, and incrementally rather than suddenly and all at once. Large gatherings will not be deemed safe or acceptable anytime soon. Even if we are able to assemble in our sanctuaries by the end of May, which is doubtful, we will need several weeks of gathering on a local level to gain confidence that we are doing so without putting the health of those present in jeopardy.
There is simply not enough time during the next eighty-four days to gain the needed confidence for hosting an international camp meeting. It is therefore clear that we should not hold Portland camp meeting this year, nor is it feasible to reschedule it. At this point, it is still too early to make firm plans regarding other summer events scheduled throughout the world. However, once we are able to safely assemble together, it may be more important to renew fellowship at the branch church level than to assemble away from our home churches.
This announcement will eliminate one aspect of our current uncertainty, even if it is disappointing. Our 37th camp meeting in 1943 was also cancelled at the height of World War II. Our saints survived, and we will too. In fact, we will do more than survive, we will thrive. In order to do so, here are some suggestions.
Thank you for your prayers and support. Between now and the trumpet sound, may God bless you.
COVID-19 certainly changed our 2020 plans in numerous ways. In addition to other cancelled events, I missed our Portland camp meeting pastor and minister gatherings. How do we compensate for our inability to assemble together in the same place for support and fellowship? Well, we can’t entirely. However, it might be nice to touch bases on Monday, November 16, at 4:00 PM (Portland time) via a live webcast. The week prior to November 16, I will provide follow-up information with details on how to watch the meeting online. Ministers who live in Portland, or nearby, are welcome to attend in person in the church sanctuary, safely distanced. Consistent with our camp meeting approach, spouses are also welcome to attend. Regrettably, we cannot offer our customary brunch or continental breakfast! I look forward to “seeing you” at that time.
Below you will see a message I sent to the Portland Music Director, Gary Riler, and the Portland Youth Leader, Erik Calhoun.
Brother Gary and Brother Erik;
Please read the following document to our musicians between now and the opening of camp meeting.
We would like to thank all of you for your conscientiousness with respect to platform demeanor. We are noticed! This is particularly true during camp meeting, since the tabernacle platform is elevated and ascending. For the sake of modesty, we are asking that in upcoming services, musicians should simply take their places on the platform and sit with heads prayerfully bowed until the service begins. During the service itself, it is helpful if everyone focuses on whomever is at the pulpit or microphone rather than looking around the audience.
We set the modesty standard for Apostolic Faith workers worldwide. Ladies, please pay careful attention to your sleeve and hem lengths. It is distracting and awkward for the audience and your peers alike if skirts are above the knees and sleeves are merely capped. Leggings and tights do not compensate for skirts that are too short. Colored lipstick and nail polish are not appropriate. Men, please wear a tie and sports coat or suit, and be well groomed. A disheveled appearance or shaggy hairstyle is not helpful. We still request that those who participate in the Apostolic Faith work not wear jewelry such as rings/necklaces either at or away from church.
Please take time to review your social media photos, making sure that they are consistent with the standard of holiness we wish to project as participants in the work of the Lord.
While some may view honoring these requests as a sacrifice, doing so honors those who have made a similar commitment to God and this organization in years gone by. Their devotion to this work paved the way for the blessings and privileges we enjoy. Our efforts will likewise pave the way for those who follow us. Most importantly, the Lord will honor us for our determination to preserve for the next generation the same Gospel that was delivered to us.
To be clear, everyone is welcome in our church services. What is written above applies to those who represent the Apostolic Faith by participating in our services.
Thank you for your consecrated and faithful service to God throughout the year, and for doing your best to represent our world headquarters well. You do a wonderful job week after week and after week and are sincerely appreciated.
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