Are church closings an appropriate response to a pandemic?

We are grateful to the Lord that this situation has hardly occurred in Germany so far. And yet, especially at the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic, we saw that, for a brief time, meetings were discontinued in some places.

If the case should actually occur (which should be checked very carefully), and there are actually no other real possibilities of coming together as assembly, then there is basically nothing that speaks against meeting online as brethren , as a temporary solution.

As I write these lines countries across the globe implement and tighten restrictions on people’s movements and social contact – in a bid to slow the spread of the dreaded coronavirus. As a result, Christians in many places cannot spend the first day of the week as they normally would. Some face restrictions on the size of gatherings, others even face curfews. Many have been overtaken by events, some are overwhelmed, some can only meet in very small groups, and some are still considering what to do.

At the time of writing, 30% or more of the world’s population is subject to some form of government-imposed lockdown directed at slowing the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) and minimising its impact on public health and the provision of public health services. Many of us are confronted by restrictions on Christians gathering together for the first time in our lives.

Sometimes it is objected that it is better not to provide such online offers (broadcast of the meetings) in the first place. Admittedly, on the one hand, they again harbour the risk of encouraging an attitude of easily staying away from the face-to-face meeting, and one can only warn against that. It should also be remembered that the distraction factor at home in front of a screen is significantly greater than in a real meeting. On the other hand, we should not forget that in some places there are old and sick brothers and sisters who - perhaps for years - have not been able to attend the meetings. Do we want to deprive them of this opportunity and joy of following the meetings online? The counter-argument that you can visit them afterwards is of little use, because firstly - unfortunately - it is hardly practiced anymore and secondly, in practice it only applies to the ministry meeting or the Bible study. We also think of parents who have to stay at home with the children and thus have the opportunity to listen to the meeting. Job-related absence could also be mentioned at this point. We should be careful here in our judgment and “go softly” (Isa. 38:15).

Attendance at the meeting (in person) is to be sought in any case. But if there is no other way, we should have a wide heart and consider together before the Lord how to decide on a case-by-case basis. It is important that peace be kept in the assembly.

"The next day the Council of State had us requested through B. (its president), not to have our meeting all together at 22 St. Pierre [the house I lived in, where the riot was], in order not to expose the town to troubles whose issue could not be foreseen. This seemed to us a very simple direction (indice), and we agreed to disseminate ourselves on Sunday in small meetings - we had eleven in the course of the day. All were very tranquil. The Great Council is to be occupied tomorrow with the petitions relative to religious liberty. This question occupied it already Tuesday. The government seeks, in order to flatter the passions of the populace, to adopt a measure which deprives us of liberty, saving appearances as much as possible. It has shewn itself so illiberal, that the most radical of the Great Council (the government is the extreme radical) have expressed their surprise at it. I do not expect to see religious liberty granted to the children of God in this country. It is very sweet to know that that will happen as to it which our own Lord shall see good for the exercise of our faith. Men are occupied about us without consulting God; and the Lord when He is pleased to act for His children, defeats the designs of men. His counsels will be found to be very firmness itself. We are happy to be in His hands, and to have for our path Himself - not a path which men may make; though they may become the means of our trial, they cannot decide what is to happen to us.

It is not probable that we can meet next Sunday all together. The government would not be sorry to have an occasion which would justify the measure it desires. People's minds are in a great fermentation. The Conservatives desire to stop this torrent of passions and violence which threatens everything with subversion. In case of a serious tumult, our meetings would be the spark which would set fire to the powder. We desire to rest strangers to all political conflict, and for that reason we prefer to break ourselves up into small portions while things are in this state. If there had been no danger to run but that of seeing our meetings assailed and our persons ill-treated, the brethren were all encouraged to persevere. The Lord has sustained and encouraged and fortified us. He has made us find in the trial great subjects of joy and thanksgiving. The testimony has had blessed fruit. Hesitating souls have been established, and thus have joined us. The brethren are happy, and we see that Christ is precious to us in proportion as men reject us. Adieu, very dear brother; the brethren and sisters salute you. Not being able to write you word tomorrow what the Great Council shall have done as to religious liberty, if in any case some result is arrived at, I shall only write next week if the Lord permit.

The gatherings as an assembly have a high priority and we do well to remind ourselves of this. Digital alternatives for spreading the biblical message can easily be used. However, they never replace real meetings of believers. However, if individual brethren cannot attend the meetings, digital solutions are definitely worth considering. Even in absolutely exceptional cases, it is not possible to come together digitally to the name of the Lord. Nonetheless, online meetings can provide a measure of comfort, edification, and fellowship - even if they are in no way a substitute for physical gathering. Our Lord's promise: "For where two or three are gathered unto my name, there am I in their midst" applies when believers meet, in person, as local assembly.

Local gathering becomes visible when the believers actually (factually) gather and not when they meet hidden digitally somewhere in the global network. An “online meeting” cannot be an adequate substitute for coming together unto the name of the Lord.

However - and this should have become clear by now - such online meetings are not a gathering as an assembly according to Matthew 18:20 (and that is precisely why we have to check very carefully whether it is really impossible to meet as an assembly!). We can pray together, read the Word, and praise our Lord together online. All of this is a great blessing. Yet it is never a real substitute for meeting as a local assembly. We have to be aware of that.

None of us knows why God has allowed COVID-19 to spread so rapidly or permitted government responses to go as far as they have in restricting Christian meetings. Hopefully, at the very least, those of us living in Western countries are led to thank Him for His grace in having preserved us from so many of the natural hardships which much of the world’s population, and countless Christians, have suffered. In addition, we may do well to consider whether the Lord is testing the faith of His people, as He did with Abraham in Genesis 22 (to take but one example).

Respect for the authorities set up by God is important (Rom. 13), as is our testimony before the world, which should be a positive one (Phil. 2:15) and, as a general rule, include submission to the authorities and the laws they have enacted (1 Pet. 2:13–17). However, where the two conflict, ‘we ought to obey God rather than men’ (Acts 5:29). Peter’s words are not limited to overt governmental acts aimed at supressing the Christian testimony. Rather, their application is universal. God always comes first.