Although the governor’s order does not apply to churches, as your episcopal leader, please adhere to this request for all churches in the Mississippi Conference to cease and desist all in-person gatherings at church—including drive-in church services—until further
notice. As the body of Christ, it is incumbent upon us to rise to a higher standard and not to a lower one. What’s happening in our state, our nation and around the globe is a serious matter. Children of God, sheltering in place is not a new concept for the body of believers. Similar to a time when Moses told the Israelites that God said to stay in their homes under the cover of the blood of the lamb until the angel of death passed over—that is the reality of the times we are living in right now. There are several biblical references to quarantine, especially for persons exposed to illnesses like leprosy. They were told not to defile the “camp of those in whose midst I dwell” –Numbers 5:3, just to name one. Remember to love one another as you love yourself.

Praying your soul prospers as does your health, Bishop James E. Swanson, Sr.