Pastoring a Black church through COVID

Pastoring Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares Terrance M. McKinley Early in the pandemic, during one of my “church check-ins” over Zoom, I opened the floor for our members to share any challenges they might be facing as a result of the shutdown so we could be more responsive and supportive. After a few responses, the call went surprisingly silent. I prodded the group and one of our wisest, most active retirees surprised me with her contribution: “We’ve been through challenging times before. We are resilient people. We are okay.” We’ve now dealt with the challenges of lockdown and the pandemic for nearly a year and our resilience is being tested. Congregations across the nation are grappling with the lived realities of communities impacted by 450,000 deaths. The crisis has been especially devastating for the Black community. On average, the U.S. is experiencing 3,150 deaths per day, with Black Americans dying at nearly three times the rate of white Americans. While vaccines have been a source of hope, vaccine distribution programs around the country are facing several challenges — and inequities in the process are further disenfranchising communities of color. I pastor in Southeast Washington, D.C., where local activist and community leader Ronald Moten is helping spearhead a local vaccine delivery effort. But he says people from more affluent communities across the city are overwhelming the neighborhood and receiving the vaccine before members in the community. The New York Times reports that disparities in vaccine distribution are happening nationally among clinics in urban and low-income communities that are disproportionately African American. READ THE FULL ARTICLE Forward Share

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