Coronavirus Response

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and era of social distancing, Westside Baptist Church in Gainesville pulled off a successful week of engaging local families in God’s word with a unique twist on the traditional Vacation Bible School.

Working side-by-side as the body of Christ, volunteers from churches in the Central Florida region came together during the past five weeks to distribute food valued at $2.25 million dollars to needy communities across the state.

Without a doubt churches, pastors and their families have shouldered an impossible task and weighty burden since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March.

Pastor Rafael Sánchez, Iglesia Bautista Bethel, Tampa y profesor del instituto Bíblico Eser; Dr. Marino Martínez, Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana de Talahassee y médico internista; Pastor Guillermo Escalona, Coral Villa Baptist Church y Capellan de cuidado pastoral en el Miami Cancer Institute; Eduardo Leiva, psicólogo/terapista de salud mental y profesor de New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; Emanuel Roque, Ministerios Hispanos, Florida Baptist Convention

While COVID-19 has impacted all sectors of the U.S. population, studies show African American and Hispanic communities have suffered disproportionate tolls in death, illness and loss of income. Researchers link the disparities to long-term racial inequities in health care and employment.

It was a season fraught with uncertainty and disappointment. After discipling and investing in a group of collegians for seven months and expecting to bring the ministry to fruition at the school year’s end, Florida Baptist Campus Ministry directors discovered that due to COVID-19, students would not return to campus after spring break.

Westside Baptist Church in Gainesville has begun holding services again on its campus, but those attending must first RSVP online, answer health questions when they check in and sit in new seating arrangements designed to instill the six-foot social distancing guidelines.

While many organizations have suffered serious setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Board of Missions heard how the Florida Baptist Convention has flourished while adjusting their ministries plans to meet urgent needs of churches, pastors and the hungry during this time of extraordinary crisis.

Near the height of the Coronavirus quarantine, two Orlando-area churches combined efforts to expand an existing program, with their sights set on providing food and protective masks to more underserved members of their community.

Spared until now with the number of COVID-19 infections in single digits, this past weekend Haiti confirmed almost 40 new infections in just one day.