These are the times that try men’s souls.” Many have equated today’s Coronavirus pandemic with the tumultuous time in history Thomas Paine chronicled when he wrote those famous words. Paine’s memorable line was about the American Revolution. The current battle is different, but the effect on the souls of men and women is similar. These are trying times indeed.
The church has hope, though, both in the redemptive power of the blood of Christ, and in his promise to build his church. Church leaders have a unique opportunity to brandish that hope for all who need it.
“And now, again, is the minister’s time; and now is the time for all of you who love souls,” Charles Spurgeon wrote amid a cholera outbreak in 1850s London. “You may see men more alarmed than they are already; and if they should be, mind that you avail yourselves of the opportunity of doing them good.
“You have the Balm of Gilead; when their wounds smart, pour it in.”
Across Illinois, churches and leaders mobilized quickly to address unique challenges brought on their congregations and communities by the Coronavirus pandemic. Several of those leaders shared principles for leading in crisis times—times that often reveal the character of a leader, said one Illinois pastor.
“I’m a firm believer that what’s inside a person comes out in times of trial,” said Adron Robinson, pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Country Club Hills. “Crisis tends to expose the contents of our heart.”
That’s why leaders must prioritize following Jesus, Robinson said. Others, even people in crisis, will follow that lead.
“We can only pass on what we are receiving ourselves,” Robinson said. He urged church leaders to make sure their devotion times are strong and their prayer times are frequent. “I can definitely see God using this crisis to shut out all the distractions, all those things we’ve put before him, even those idols we’ve laid up in our hearts.”
Robinson’s fellow leaders in Illinois echoed his call for personal discipleship, and for clarity and faithfulness in the days to come.
Pray regularly and with someone else
Every Monday morning, you will find me sitting in a rocking chair in the nursery of our church with my Bible and my prayer journal. Facing me in a rocking chair of her own is my prayer partner, Paulette, with whom I have had a standing appointment on Monday mornings for almost 10 years now.
There in the safety of the dimly lit room, I am able to share what’s on my heart: the burdens I am carrying for others, fear of failure, disappointment and discouragement that come with leadership, and my own battles within.
As I begin to confess aloud what is in my heart, I am sure of three things: (1) Paulette can be trusted to keep my confidence, (2) Paulette is steeped in the word of God and her counsel comes only from the truths in Scripture, and (3) Paulette is a true intercessor. She is a prayer warrior!
Don’t let the sweet décor and cribs fool you; that nursery transforms into a battlefield as we begin to wage war in prayer asking God to grant wisdom and vision, to break strongholds, to heal marriages and homes, to deliver those held captive by addiction, to comfort those who are grief stricken, and to soften hardened hearts. Many tears are shed on that battlefield, but many victories are won!
At the close of each prayer time, I am reminded I cannot do this alone. Like Moses needed Aaron and Hur to hold up his arms when they grew heavy, I need a prayer warrior holding me up as I lead. As leaders, we are tempted to succumb to the pressure of looking like we have it all together, but the reality is we need the support of a trusted intercessor who understands the battles we face, and stands ready to lift our arms in battle. Every leader needs an Aaron and a Hur…or in my case, a Paulette.
– Jill Finley, women’s minister, Bethel Baptist Church, Troy
Lead with a clear conscience
I must have missed the seminary class on how to lead a church through a pandemic. These are indeed unique days in which we find ourselves.
As leaders, we can be susceptible to fear, depression, and doubt. We can wonder if we have led correctly or appropriately. We can second-guess decisions and sometimes overthink how to minister effectively to our flock. We can be fearful about whether we will have to shut the church doors, if we will have finances to weather this pandemic, and whether the church people will come back to church when this virus is over.
Sometimes we can even get attacked with friendly fire that questions how we have led or the decisions that we have made.
All of these fears and questions can easily cause us to lose sleep, lose our appetite, and just lose faith. If we are not careful, instead of leading by following God’s call and vision, we can lead out of fear, or just not lead at all.
I believe God doesn’t want fear to be our motivating factor, but that trust and faith in him should be what directs us. I think God wants us to lead with a clear conscience. When we have a clear conscience, we are able to sleep at night and rest, knowing he is in control regardless of the outcome.
In making decisions for what to do during crisis moments like this, I try to gather a group of godly, wise leaders to help us weigh the possible options. In our setting, these men often include staff members and deacons. In these meetings, the ideas I come to the table with always get tweaked, improved upon, and sometimes even turned down. However, at the end of the meeting, I believe we end up with a Spirit-led, team-directed decision that is always better than if I would have made the decisions on my own. Then, I try to let my theology kick in to help with any fears and doubts that may creep in.
As we enact our plan and approach, I remind myself that God is still on the throne, that God can take care of the birds and the lilies and surely take care of his church, and that I am doing the best I can with what I believe God desires for me to do in the place he has put me.
The hope is that my theology of God’s goodness and sovereignty will allow me to go to bed with a clear conscience. Having sought the Lord, having sought godly wisdom, and by doing the best I can, I simply must trust God.
– Sammy Simmons, pastor, Immanuel Baptist Church, Benton
Trust in God’s sovereignty
When I think of leading through crisis, my thoughts immediately go to Jesus. After all, if we are honest, we know that Jesus was, first, the greatest leader ever to walk the face of the earth, and second, he led through crisis. I can’t think of a more significant crisis than knowing you came to die on a cruel cross to take away the sins of all who would believe.
Of the many principles we can learn from Christ to guide us in these times, I want to share one: trust in God’s sovereignty. It’s a vital lesson I saw at work when a tornado swept through our town shortly after I arrived in a new pastorate.
We often like to focus on the sovereignty of God when it is convenient. But what about when we’re in crisis? Does God somehow lose his sovereignty in a crisis? Do things spin out of control from his standpoint? We would do well to remember there has never been a time that God was not in control, is not in control, or will not be in control.
Jesus lived his entire life relying on the sovereignty of God the Father. From an early age, when found in the temple as a boy by his parents, he said: “Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). Later, Jesus made it clear he came to do the will of the Father (John 6:38). At the end of his life, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane after asking for the cup to pass from him, “Not my will, but yours be done.”
Jesus knew God was sovereign. His mission was laser-focused: do the will of the Father. In the midst of crisis, rely on God’s sovereignty and be laser-focused to do his will. Only then can we truly understand that he is in control in the crisis, and it is ultimately for our good and for his glory.
– Joshua Monda, pastor, First Baptist Church, Washington
Lead with clarity and conviction
They canceled March Madness, my kid’s school, my job, and my church! The news fell like hammer blows, one after another. Everything we depend on has become uncertain—health, jobs, income, and the church we love.
I was caught off-guard by the torrid pace of developments. I’m thankful for decisive action, but I still must deal with our new reality—likely for several months. What we believe is on display now. For our church, the gospel is top priority. So, the first question we asked was how we could extend our gospel reach during this crisis. COVID-19 changes nothing about the Great Commission. In fact, we face unprecedented gospel opportunity right now. Let’s seize it!
And let’s communicate clearly. In fact, overcommunicate to the church family. Send emails, letters, cards, texts, Facebook messages, Instagram posts, phone calls, and whatever else is needed to stay in close contact with our people, who are flooded with contradictory information. Communicate accurate and useful information from reliable sources.
Be bold about the church’s need during this time—ask and you will receive. Above all, deliver our unshakable faith in an ever-present, all-powerful father in heaven (Psalm 46).
– Scott Nichols, pastor, Crossroads Church, Carol Stream/DeKalb