The Coronavirus shutdown of churches is now several weeks old, but the question of whether they should be shut and the controversy over the challenges to government authority in the matter persist. Dr. Russell Moore, President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention, spoke on Lighthouse Faith podcast recently on the issue. Moore heads the public policy arm of the SBC and is urging churches to comply with government mandates on social distancing to stop the spread of the virus. But what about The Bible’s mandate to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.” (Hebrews 10:25)? It must also be weighed with Romans 13:1-2, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” It’s in navigating these two verses that Moore speaks to as well as the issue of helping churches stay financially solvent while parishioners meet virtually, even during the highest Holy Day of the Christian calendar, Easter Sunday.
