All churches are now existing in what is referred to several times a day as "unprecedented" times. The other day, I was listening to an episode of Rainer on Leadership podcast that caused me to ponder the subject of this blog post.
The church I am thinking about is my home church, the Rockbridge (IL) United Methodist Church. Not only did I attend this church from even before my earliest memories, I am now participating in this church after retiring from 46 years in the United Methodist ministry and after moving back to Rockbridge. (Population: 170 or so)
For several Sundays there has been no in-person worship or other gatherings of the Rockbridge United Methodist Church because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This situation is continuing. It's been difficult. We wonder what the future might hold.
But this church has been through difficulty before. Here are some examples:
According to Rockbridge Methodist Church history, a small group of Methodists began holding worship services in the Rockbridge School house in the 1870s. (The village began in 1871.)
- The church began in the same decade as a major financial panic: the Panic of 1873. It was a financial crisis that triggered an economic depression in Europe and North America that lasted from 1873 to 1877. In the United States, the panic was known as the "Great Depression" until the events of the early 1930s set a new standard.
- A United States President was shot in July 1881 and died in September 1881. James Garfield was the second president to be assassinated with a decade and a half.
- Another depression was set off by the Panic of 1893. It was the greatest depression America had known up to that time. The stock market crashed in May 1893 and a severe credit crisis resulted and more than 16,000 businesses had failed by the end of 1893. Included in the failed businesses were 156 railroads and nearly 500 banks. The panic lasted about four years.
- In 1901, another assassination: President William McKinley.
- The First World War or also known as the Great War was a global war originating in Europe. It lasted from July 28, 1914 to November 11, 1918. In this war, the USA lost more personnel to disease (63,114) than to combat (53,402) largely due to the influenza epidemic of 1918.
- The Influenza Pandemic of 1918. It is estimated that about 500 million people or one-third of the world's population became infected with this virus. There were about 675,000 deaths in the United States.
- The Great Depression was a severe economic depression that began in the United States. It started in 1929 with a stock market crash and lasted until the late 1930s. It was a devastating time for families and businesses. I am reading a book called The Great Depression: A Diary by Benjamin Roth. Benjamin Roth lived in Youngstown, Ohio. Here is one of his diary entries (August 7, 1931): "Business is at an absolute standstill and the big stores are deserted even tho [sic] they are all running sales and almost giving the merchandise away. Since the Home Savings and Loan Company and other loan companies stopped paying out, nobody has any money and everybody seems scared and blue. We seem to have touched bottom in Youngstown and it hardly seems possible that things could get worse." He went back and noted the following about this entry: "This was a poor guess. Conditions in 1932 were much worse." March 8, 1933. (p.12)
- On Sunday December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States subsequently entered World War II. From 1941 to 1945, major sacrifices had to be made by the people in the United States and the citizens in the village of Rockbridge. Today in the Rockbridge Post Office there is a display of pictures of many veterans of World War II from the village and surrounding area, including my dad. Several years ago, (when my mom was still alive), I asked her if she was watching the documentary on World War II that was produced by Ken Burns. She told me, "no, it is too painful to re-live."
- The Korean War raged from 1950 to 1953. Almost 40,000 Americans died and more than 100,000 were wounded.
- In 1962, President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Union leaders engaged in a tense, 13 day political and military standoff in October. It was known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Soviet Union had installed nuclear armed missiles on Cuba, just 90 miles from U. S. shores.
- The Cold War and threat of nuclear war continued.
- President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. It was an uncertain time. Schools were dismissed for a couple of days while funeral proceedings for the president were conducted.
- In 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert Kennedy were assassinated just a couple months apart. There were race riots, riots at political conventions--we wondered what the future would hold for the country.
- The Vietnam War divided the country. Around 58,000 US service personnel perished in this war. Their memory is etched in the very inspirational Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.
- On September 11, 2001, the United States was attacked by terrorists. As the news unfolded that day, no one knew when it was going to end. It was a difficult time. The world, our nation, businesses and families were affected. For at least a couple of days, no planes were in the skies. There was fear and uncertainty.
- The Great Recession of 2008-2009 was the most severe economic and financial meltdown (up to that time) since the Great Depression.
- The Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020. With the suspension of in-person worship for a few weeks and stay at home orders from the governor, it is a different and difficult challenge.
- When the lockdown is lifted, in some ways it will be a new beginning. A starting over. From scratch. It will be an opportunity to evaluate what we have done and whether we need to stop something, change something, or start something new in order to effectively minister to this community. This "unprecedented" time may be a gift for us to humbly pray that God would lead us to a new day, a new place, a renewed resolve to communicate the message of salvation in Jesus Christ to this village and beyond.
- Committed congregation.
- Caring pastor.
- Only church in this entire zip code.
- More than adaquate, beautiful accessible building.
- No debt.
- Solid financial resources.
- Willingness to try new things.
- The promise from Jesus in Matthew 16: ...I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
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