04/17/2020
Mayor Ken McClure
City of Springfield, Missouri
Dear Mayor McClure,
First, let us express our sincere gratitude for the concern you and the council have shown for the citizens of Springfield in this difficult time. We share your love of our community and we recognize the great difficulty that has been presented to you by this unprecedented crisis. We commend you for your concern to protect our community.
Our agreement with your response is evidenced by the proactive measures we took in advance of your own. We cancelled our Sunday fellowship meals prior to any restrictions enacted by the city, and also cancelled our worship service prior to the enactment of the 10 person limit. We only point this out to emphasize our appreciation for the precautionary measures you and the city of Springfield enacted, in spite of the fact that it necessitated foregoing the worship that is so important to us and our congregants.
While we are certain that the pattern of weekly worship of God is essential to the well being of our community over time, we do not think that our gathered worship is essential every single week in all cases. Along with the vast majority of christian churches throughout history that suspended worship during plagues, we are committed to the broader well-being of our community and are happy to do our part. But we also know that the work done by churches is important to the spiritual, social, and mental health and stability of many members of our community. We believe this has been part of your consideration, and only offer it as a reminder. We are well content to cooperate as long as the churches are not singled out, and we have seen no evidence of that. If our congregation of 250 is unable to gather for some time, we are willing to accept that, but our concerns are much broader.
While we understand the serious need to protect those most at risk from a Covid-19 infection, we also now know that the vast majority of healthy people are at very low risk from the disease. We ask you to remember that there are many in our community who are at risk in other ways that are, or could become, equally serious. We are asking you to consider replacing the current measures in favor of an approach targeted to protecting those at risk in all areas, including Covid-19. We believe such reconsideration is warranted in light of the growing knowledge of the lethality of the virus, the large percentage of the population deemed not at risk, the rates of infection in our state and city, our lower population density, and improvements in physician's ability to treat symptoms. While the initial response was necessarily precautionary and appropriate, it does not appear that the initial fears regarding the virus’s catastrophic potential are warranted at this time, and the early extreme measures have done what they needed to do.
Everyone is well aware of the economic crisis that has begun as a result of the response to the virus. Many are without paychecks, small business are shuttered and may not reopen. We know you have considered this with extreme seriousness. But, please also consider the damage that this extreme isolation causes at a more basic human level. Relationship with God, with family, friends, and neighbors are the glue that holds an orderly society together. Many more are now suffering because of increased domestic abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, anger, loneliness and suicidality, general loss of hope, severe financial stress, and the compounding of other anxieties. Our social connections are thinning in ways that social media can't replace, and people are stressing and dividing in ways that social media only enhances. The churches play a vital and ongoing role in ministering to these problems, as we preach the gospel of redemption through the sacrifice of Christ, calling everyone to the worship of God, and helping them to live as redeemed people, loving both God and neighbor as the scriptures teach.
We may have to be six feet apart where possible, or wear masks for awhile, but we need to find a way back to the normal friendliness and connection that characterizes our community. We do this by sending those who are able back to church, back to work, back to our barbers, beauticians, restaurants, taverns, fitness gyms, bicycle stores, clothing shops and so much more. It won't be exactly the same, and we'll have to do some things differently to keep others safe, but our citizens care for one another, and we can do it.
No doubt relaxing restrictions would contribute to some measure of increase in transmission, but thankfully our city has ample medical capacity to handle it. Those at risk due to health conditions or age should continue to be protected and accommodated through stay-at-home, special store hours, perhaps even special park and recreation hours, since staying indoors for long periods, lack of fresh air, natural sunlight, and exercise is known to be unhealthy.
We cannot imagine the magnitude of your difficulties, although we have experienced them on a smaller scale with the congregation that we love. It’s fair to suppose none of us ever expected to be in the position that this crisis has placed us in. We will continue to pray for you faithfully, as we have been, that God would sustain you, grant you wisdom, help you to do your best, and comfort you in this crisis, and that through you he would show mercy to the City of Springfield.
The Session of Christ the King Church
Jeremy Sexton, Pastor
Rob Davis, Elder
Doug Peterson, Elder
James Bramer, Elder
