The Weekly is a highlight of the work the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is doing to strengthen you and our churches for God’s glory.

Explainer: What you should know about COVID-19 antivirals and vaccines

What just happened?

Earlier this week, the University of Oxford announced that patients have been enrolled in clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine, and the U.K.’s health secretary said the country would be “throwing everything” behind the project. Medical researchers at Oxford are among the thousands across the globe who are working on potential treatments and vaccines for the novel coronavirus disease known as COVID-19.

Two weeks ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) said there were three vaccine candidates in the clinical testing phase while 67 potential vaccines are in the preclinical phase. There are also more than 150 different drugs—such as antivirals—being researched and tested as possible treatments for COVID-19.

What are vaccines, and how do they work?

A vaccine is created from the same infectious agent that causes a disease, using extremely small amounts of weak or dead microbes such as viruses, bacteria, or toxins. A vaccine stimulates your immune system to produce antibodies, exactly as it would if you were exposed to the disease. After getting vaccinated, you develop immunity to that disease, without having to actually get the disease.

Vaccination is the act of getting a vaccine, usually as a shot, while immunization is the process of becoming immune to (i.e., protected against) a disease. The purpose of vaccination is immunization.

This Week at the ERLC

• Chelsea Patterson Sobolik hosted the ERLC’s first Christian Women at Work event online. 

• Russell Moore just launched a weekly newsletter. Sign up here. He was also on the Typology podcast discussing morality and authenticity. 

• Jason Thacker was on The World and Everything in It answering the question: Is technology the cure we need? 

• Daniel Patterson is at The Gospel Coalition with an article about productivity.

Helpful Resources On COVID-19

• Keep up with the ERLC’s latest resources on coronavirus at ERLC.com/COVID19
   
• Keep up with the latest CDC news and resources at coronavirus.gov
   
• From The White House | Coronavirus Guidelines for All Americans

What You Need to Read

• Ericka Andersen with The quarantine is an opportunity for churches to emerge stronger

It wasn’t Sunday morning that did the trick. It’s not Sunday mornings alone that will do the trick now, especially given many churchgoers only attend once or twice a month. The Sunday service, a quartet of monthly touchpoints, can be a foundation for ministry—but the integrated depth of daily community, service, prayer, and life together will be what leads to a thriving Church and to the Lord adding to our numbers.

• Josh Wester with Why is religious liberty so important to Baptists?

Religious liberty protects not the strong but the weak. It is meant to protect not the powerful but the marginalized. Citizens living in the United States today enjoy broad protections when it comes to religion. The First Amendment guarantees that we are able to freely exercise our religious beliefs without fear of punishment or interference at the hands of government. But it has not always been this way.

• Casey B. Hough with 3 ways to lead Christ’s sheep through the valley of the shadow of COVID-19

The Apostle Paul lived with a pastoral concern for his churches. In several of his letters, we encounter the apostle’s heart for Christ’s sheep, especially when they faced suffering and persecution on account of faithfulness to Christ. As pastors seek to lead through the current COVID-19 crisis, I believe we would do well to consider how Paul cared for his congregations in difficult times. To that end, here are three things from 2 Corinthians 5:1-6:2 that we can learn about leading Christ’s sheep.

News From Capitol Hill

• This week, Congress provided over $300 billion in new funding for the paycheck protection program, a coronavirus relief effort with the Small Business Administration to help business and nonprofits, including churches. Additional funding in the nearly half-trillion-dollar bill went to hospitals and expanded virus testing. The Senate approved the legislation via voice vote on Tuesday. The House followed suit and passed the bill on Thursday in a unique scene with members wearing masks and social distancing on the floor. For more on the SBA loan program, see this ERLC explainer on how churches can apply for a loan. Russell Moore addressed the concerns some have raised with such a program this week in his new weekly newsletter, Moore to the Point.

“I don’t think it is true that acceptance of these loans invites government interference in the church, and I say why here, but I do think there are reasonable arguments as to why a church should or should not apply for these loans. The best argument as to why I’m wrong about this is, in my view, Bart Barber’s, which can be found here. The main thing is that we affirm together that government funding of the church or its mission is wrong. Most of us are agreed on that. We just disagree about whether this is that. And, on this one, let’s extend, as most people already are, Romans 14 charity about encouraging everyone to act according to conscience.”

• The ongoing ministry of local churches to meet the needs of their cities is central to our country’s ability to conquer this crisis. This week on Capitol Conversations, Jeff Pickering goes to West Virginia to speak with a pastor whose congregation is doing just that.
  
  Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, changing industries and technology led to massive shifts in American life, especially in Appalachia. In Bluefield, W.V., the collapse of coal decimated the area’s economy and gave rise to a cruel epidemic of opioid overuse. Seeing the need in his city, a local pastor, Travis Lowe, took action. His church’s efforts to meet their neighbor’s physical, economic, and spiritual needs helped a disrupted community move beyond despair.
  
  Ministering to people hurt from the collapse of coal and an opioid epidemic prepared this church to care for their community during the coronavirus crisis. After conversations with a local hospital administrator and a friend at the Department of Health and Human Services, Lowe put together a plan to assemble masks and other Personal Protective Equipment for frontline healthcare professionals using 3-D printers in their economic incubator facility. On Easter Sunday, the church volunteered in shifts and made the most of a holiday where their normal gathering was prevented by a pandemic. The Washington Post highlighted this incredible story and Pickering welcomed Lowe on to Capitol Conversations. Listen to their conversation here.

Featured Podcasts

From The Public Square

Is the World Ignoring a Christian Genocide in Nigeria?
Lela Gilbert, Providence

How much do Westerners know about Nigeria? Do we recognize it as Africa’s largest nation? Are we aware of its considerable economic importance? Are Western Christians alert to the dangers faced by our fellow believers in Nigeria?

UN Report on Religious Freedom Deems Abortion and Gender Identity as Human Rights
Emilie Kao and Shea Garrison, The Daily Signal

The United Nations report goes so far as to suggest an expanded role for the state in doctrinal matters if a religious institution has “harmful discriminatory gender norms.

Federal judge: Oklahoma abortion ban can't be enforced
Associated Press

A federal judge says Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt's attempt to ban abortions during the coronavirus pandemic cannot be enforced.

‘Biblical’ famines could double global hunger as a result of the coronavirus crisis, UN warns
Chloe Taylor, CNBC

Famines of “biblical proportions” are becoming a serious risk as the coronavirus crisis threatens to double the number of people nearing starvation, a U.N. body has warned.