As the world shut down, the Rev. Robert Jeffress kept his megachurch open. But how long could he hold out?
Though he doesn’t mention politics from the pulpit all that often, American flag pins are fairly common in the pews. For more than a century, the church has combined a conservative brand of patriotism with a brimstone-scented piety. Not long after Trump’s inauguration, the First Baptist Dallas choir performed a hymn
Jeffress told me he wasn’t trying to court controversy. He said the church was careful not to defy the city’s crowd-size guidelines. Ushers limited the number of people in the main sanctuary to 500, then directed the overflow into other venues on the church’s six-block campus, where attendees could watch a live telecast of the services. Fire marshals were on-site to make sure the church was abiding by the new protocols.
Jeffress’ First Baptist Church sits on a multi-building campus in downtown Dallas. | Misty Keasler/Redux for Politico Magazine I asked Jeffress if he was worried about an outbreak of the virus at his church—where the membership is disproportionately older.“We made the best decision we could make at that point in time,” he said. “This is a very real threat that we need to take seriously. But the Bible has a great balance between faith and practicality.”
All of these factors played a role in the church’s deliberations. By the time I talked to Jeffress on Thursday, he said he had made its decision for Sunday.
Norge Siste Nytt, Norge Overskrifter
Similar News:Du kan også lese nyheter som ligner på denne som vi har samlet inn fra andre nyhetskilder.
One Text Changes Domhnall Gleeson and Merritt Wever's Lives in 'Run' TrailerTwo college sweethearts fulfill old pact, set out on thrilling journey across America
Les mer »
'This one hurts': Piers Morgan, Patton Oswalt, Greg Olear mourn country icon Kenny RogersAcross social media, friends and fans mourned country music legend Kenny Rogers who died Friday night at 81.
Les mer »
Why I invested my daughters' savings on one of the market's worst days - Business Insider'Since I was planning on opening the account anyway, buying stocks at a bargain price seemed like a great idea.'
Les mer »
Coronavirus cases top 300,000 worldwide as US becomes one of worst hit countriesAs of Saturday, there were more than 24,000 cases of coronavirus across the country, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, making the U.S. one of the worst hit countries in the world since the virus outbreak began in December in Wuhan, China.
Les mer »