High positivity rate results in smaller gathering limits
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Aug. 16 the state’s Metro East region will return to some of the earlier restrictions meant to slow the spread of COVID-19. Metro East is the first of Illinois’s 11 regions to bring back mitigation tactics amid Phase 4 of the state’s Restore Illinois reopening plan. Under the new restrictions , gatherings are limited to 25 people or 25% of overall room capacity, whichever is lower. The rest of the state is currently operating under guidelines for Phase 4, which allows gatherings of up to 50 people. At a press conference Aug. 17, Pritzker made no specific statements about churches; the state’s Department of Public Health released guidance for houses of worship in late May.
MacArthur’s church defies California indoor worship ban
John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church filed suit against the state of California’s ban on church gatherings and was granted permission to meet with precautions in place. Later, the California Court of Appeal ruled that indoor gatherings were still prohibited, but the church met on Sunday morning anyway, Religion News Service reported.
>Related: Minnesota churches sue governor over mask mandate
Americans say churches should comply with COVID restrictions
Almost 80% of Americans say houses of worship should be required to follow the same rules about social distancing and large gatherings as other organizations or businesses in their area, according to a new study by Pew. Among Christians, the percentage is slightly lower but still a majority: 74% of all Christians, and 62% of evangelical Protestants.
Some Liberty alumni urge Falwell’s removal as president
Ahead of a meeting of Liberty University’s trustees, some university alumni are calling for the removal of President Jerry Falwell Jr., who was put on indefinite leave earlier this month. A group of recent graduates launched a website calling for his dismissal and claiming Falwell has “damaged the spiritual vitality, academic quality, and national reputation of Liberty University.” In June, a group of alumni said Falwell should step down following his controversial tweets about Virginia’s mask mandate.
Research measures Gen Z’s thoughts on missions terminology
Younger Christians prefer “sharing faith” to “witnessing” or “soul winning,” according to new research from Barna about how young people talk about missions. When asked which mission terms are objectionable, more than one-third of teens and young adults chose “convert,” and around 30% said “winning souls.”
Sources: Illinois Baptist, Christian Post, Religion News Service, Pew Forum, Associated Press, Barna Research