The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), has enjoined church leaders to adhere strictly to guidelines stipulated by the science regarding COVID-19.
NBCI is a faith-based coalition of 34,000 churches comprised of 37 denominations and 26.7 million African Americans with an additional 116,000 sister churches.
According to NBCI’s President, Reverend Anthony Evans, he stated that there was a need for church leaders to abide by the science precautions against coronavirus.
“NBCI is urging all church leaders to respect the science regarding COVID-19 and allow and encourage all of its members who are at least 60 years old and have underlying conditions to forgo church for the foreseeable future,” he said.
“This extraordinary moral move by NBCI is to protect us all from this extraordinarily dangerous virus and is in accordance with guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),” he added.
“Ministers are not doctors. I know that there are some churches and ministers who are going to defy this moral declaration. If you do so, you must be willing to institute the principles of social distancing as an extra measure to protect all those in your congregation.
“The Bible is clear about using sound, moral judgment in light of our faith in Christ Jesus. In this case, both the scripture and God want us to heed the sound judgment of scientists, doctors, and government officials who are trying to keep us safe. Our faith in Christ relies not only on our faith in God, but also those individuals who God has empowered as scientists, doctors, and those who are in the government at this time,” he concluded.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, of the National Institute of Health, expressed that COVID-19 (coronavirus) is 10 times more lethal than the seasonal flu.
Additionally, health experts have expressed that those with underlying conditions who are age 60 and over are particularly vulnerable to this disease.
