IBSA News

Illinois Baptist State Newspaper

Corona Virus

IDPH seeks churches as vaccination sites

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The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has asked churches in the state to serve as locations for distributing COVID-19 vaccinations. That includes IBSA churches, according to IBSA missions director Brad Lovin. “For churches that choose serve as vaccine sites, this is an opportunity for community outreach that may open doors for missions later on,” […]

Vaccines, religious liberty wins mark end of pandemic year

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Survey results released in late 2020 were a bright spot for churchgoers in an otherwise dim year. Gallup found frequent church attenders were the only group who reported gains in mental health during the year, even as most churches shut down temporarily to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Gallup’s annual health survey found 34% […]

Virtual worship returns amid surge in COVID cases

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Springfield | Just head of the holidays, churches are again weighing whether to stay open for in-person services as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect communities across Illinois. Gov. J.B. Pritzker renewed some statewide restrictions after confirmed and probable cases of the virus surged across the state. Increases in testing positivity rates and hospitalizations triggered Tier […]

Survey: Most churches meeting, but few back to pre-COVID attendance

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Nashville, Tenn. | The majority of U.S. churches say they are holding in-person services, but churchgoers have yet to attend in the numbers they did before the coronavirus pandemic struck. According to the latest survey from LifeWay Research, 87% of Protestant pastors in the U.S. say their church met in person in September, while 13% […]

Some Illinois zones face new COVID limits

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Springfield | As Gov. J.B. Pritzker tightened COVID-related restrictions in suburban Chicago and the southeastern corner of the state, pastors debated their meeting plans and two churches continued their fight to stop the limitations. Pritzker’s announcement Oct. 20 affects Zone 5, which includes Mt. Vernon, Marion, and the surrounding area. He also renewed limits on […]