Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
Petition to the Elder Board at Calvary Baptist Church, Canton
We, the undersigned, are opposed to the direction leadership of Calvary has taking during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding safety, requirements and restrictions, and lack of transparency regarding metrics. We urge the elder board to;
- Remove all restrictions for in-person meetings, including but not limited to; requiring masks, restricting member meeting, encouragement of social distancing, and the implementation of inappropriate and ineffectual metrics resulting in a 3-tiered approach to lifting restrictions.
The biblical role for elders over their congregation is to “Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money, but eagerly” (1 Peter 5:2, CSB). The enforcement of unnecessary COVID-19 restrictions under the premise of caring for the congregation’s physical health is not only an overstep of the role of eldership but is neglectful of the congregation’s spiritual well-being and as such, we believe the elders of Calvary Baptist Church are in direct conflict with their biblical mandate. Under Michigan executive order No. 2020-11, section 3 “A place of religious worship is not subject to penalty”, so any restrictions are unwarranted. Acts 20:28 (CSB) states “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.”
The following members are convicted that the role assumed by the elder board is one of spiritual neglect, unintentionally isolating members from not only each other, but from being able to worship, fellowship, and be together. The State of Michigan is one of fifteen states that have religious exemption from social distancing and mask mandates, proving every measure Calvary has in place unnecessary. Additionally, The US supreme court, as evidenced by pending lawsuits from places of worship in states where religious freedom is being abused, has deemed such restrictions a violation of religious freedom. The regulations in place by the elders of Calvary seemingly place concerns regarding public appearance or public health as more important than the spiritual health of the congregation. It would appear the State of Michigan and the US supreme court value the importance of the body being free to worship without restriction more than Calvary Baptist does at this time.
Personally knowing, respecting, and loving the members of the elder board the undersigned submit difficulty in reconciling the decisions regarding Church policy and operations amidst the pandemic by the God fearing and loving Men we all know. We lovingly implore the elders to consider the importance of unrestricted church meeting over the “safety” measures put in place; those who want to isolate, wear masks, attend virtually, or practice social distancing should be free to do so without forcing those who are opposed to partake in such restrictions. In March 2020, the US suicide rate had risen by 41% over 2019, increasing to 50% by October 2020. Isolation from others is the premier weapon the accuser employs to draw us away from The Lord. With the loss of one of our own church family members during this time of isolation, the urgency to lift all unnecessary restrictions is even more pressing as the body yearns for fellowship and freedom to worship together.
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven a difficult situation to navigate and does raise concerns for how in-person meetings should operate. However, these decisions need to be made alongside and with the congregation to ensure everyone is safe; physically and spiritually. Other churches in the area have employed many tactics that we believe strike a better balance regarding public health and spiritual welfare such as mask optional services. We love you all dearly, and lift up the elder board in prayer that the infinite wisdom of the Lord would be evident to you while the cries to meet without restriction by the undersigned are heard, understood, and swiftly acted upon.
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8 Comments
Worshipping with these restrictions in place has been very depressing and isolating. Calvary is filled with loving, caring, and responsible people who want to be able to fellowship with one another again. I don't believe they can do that with masks and social distancing. I feel these measures are slowly destroying people's spiritual and mental health, which should be of the utmost importance right now as it directly affects physical health as well. Attendees deserve the freedom to choose what measures they feel are necessary for them.
We’re frustrated that Calvary has decided to force restrictions on its congregation, rather than give individuals the freedom to choose what’s best for each family. The church needs to consider how these restrictions negatively affect the spiritual and emotional/mental health of its body. Our own state government has recognized the constitutional separation of church and state; churches are exempt, yet our church has chosen to impose strict covid policies. Many churches are exercising their 1st amendment right and meeting with minimal modifications to the worship service. Please lift the mask mandate! Especially for kids - they should not be forced to wear masks at church when they’re overwhelmingly unaffected by covid. Praying that CBC shows greater discernment in the future and gets back to being a beacon of hope in our community.
My boys don't even like coming to church with the restrictions and my oldest will ask why the church leader have more faith in Dr. Fauci (who has been all over the place) than in Christ. Even the recent studies have shown that there is no difference in 3' vs 6' social distancing. I'm betting the same is true mask vs no-mask. After all, most of these "masks" have basically zero filtration and yet our so called "experts" say they are making a difference. People take risks every day they decide to roll out of bed. I just believe our church has helped to feed the fear rather than give us comfort that God is in control.
I love our church and am praying for change in this area. Church and state are separate for so many reasons, and receiving emails from church with rules that are similar to health department briefings is not ok. We want to worship Jesus without masks on our faces, while still respecting and leaving room for those who feel differently. Praying Calvary moves in a direction of personal choice.
People should be able to decide on their own how they deal with Corona. Our church has decided to cater to those who are more fearful while shunning those who aren't as fearful.
For those that need that have health concerns, perhaps a section of the sanctuary could be reserved for masked persons.
Praying for our church elders and family. Lord give us wisdom and courage.
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Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
Petition to the Elder Board at Calvary Baptist Church, Canton
We, the undersigned, are opposed to the direction leadership of Calvary has taking during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding safety, requirements and restrictions, and lack of transparency regarding metrics. We urge the elder board to;
- Remove all restrictions for in-person meetings, including but not limited to; requiring masks, restricting member meeting, encouragement of social distancing, and the implementation of inappropriate and ineffectual metrics resulting in a 3-tiered approach to lifting restrictions.
The biblical role for elders over their congregation is to “Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money, but eagerly” (1 Peter 5:2, CSB). The enforcement of unnecessary COVID-19 restrictions under the premise of caring for the congregation’s physical health is not only an overstep of the role of eldership but is neglectful of the congregation’s spiritual well-being and as such, we believe the elders of Calvary Baptist Church are in direct conflict with their biblical mandate. Under Michigan executive order No. 2020-11, section 3 “A place of religious worship is not subject to penalty”, so any restrictions are unwarranted. Acts 20:28 (CSB) states “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.”
The following members are convicted that the role assumed by the elder board is one of spiritual neglect, unintentionally isolating members from not only each other, but from being able to worship, fellowship, and be together. The State of Michigan is one of fifteen states that have religious exemption from social distancing and mask mandates, proving every measure Calvary has in place unnecessary. Additionally, The US supreme court, as evidenced by pending lawsuits from places of worship in states where religious freedom is being abused, has deemed such restrictions a violation of religious freedom. The regulations in place by the elders of Calvary seemingly place concerns regarding public appearance or public health as more important than the spiritual health of the congregation. It would appear the State of Michigan and the US supreme court value the importance of the body being free to worship without restriction more than Calvary Baptist does at this time.
Personally knowing, respecting, and loving the members of the elder board the undersigned submit difficulty in reconciling the decisions regarding Church policy and operations amidst the pandemic by the God fearing and loving Men we all know. We lovingly implore the elders to consider the importance of unrestricted church meeting over the “safety” measures put in place; those who want to isolate, wear masks, attend virtually, or practice social distancing should be free to do so without forcing those who are opposed to partake in such restrictions. In March 2020, the US suicide rate had risen by 41% over 2019, increasing to 50% by October 2020. Isolation from others is the premier weapon the accuser employs to draw us away from The Lord. With the loss of one of our own church family members during this time of isolation, the urgency to lift all unnecessary restrictions is even more pressing as the body yearns for fellowship and freedom to worship together.
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven a difficult situation to navigate and does raise concerns for how in-person meetings should operate. However, these decisions need to be made alongside and with the congregation to ensure everyone is safe; physically and spiritually. Other churches in the area have employed many tactics that we believe strike a better balance regarding public health and spiritual welfare such as mask optional services. We love you all dearly, and lift up the elder board in prayer that the infinite wisdom of the Lord would be evident to you while the cries to meet without restriction by the undersigned are heard, understood, and swiftly acted upon.
8 Comments
I am uncomfortable with the language that the elders are in direct conflict with their biblical mandate. I believe they have had good intentions, and have made difficult decisions while trying to keep both the spiritual and physical needs of the flock in mind. However, despite their good intentions, I am convinced that the restrictions have been burdensome and have contributed to a feeling of isolation, negatively impacting the spiritual, emotional, and mental health of many, particularly our youth. I implore the elders to lift the restrictions and give each individual the liberty to decide for themselves what precautions they wish to take.
Worshipping with these restrictions in place has been very depressing and isolating. Calvary is filled with loving, caring, and responsible people who want to be able to fellowship with one another again. I don't believe they can do that with masks and social distancing. I feel these measures are slowly destroying people's spiritual and mental health, which should be of the utmost importance right now as it directly affects physical health as well. Attendees deserve the freedom to choose what measures they feel are necessary for them.
We’re frustrated that Calvary has decided to force restrictions on its congregation, rather than give individuals the freedom to choose what’s best for each family. The church needs to consider how these restrictions negatively affect the spiritual and emotional/mental health of its body. Our own state government has recognized the constitutional separation of church and state; churches are exempt, yet our church has chosen to impose strict covid policies. Many churches are exercising their 1st amendment right and meeting with minimal modifications to the worship service. Please lift the mask mandate! Especially for kids - they should not be forced to wear masks at church when they’re overwhelmingly unaffected by covid. Praying that CBC shows greater discernment in the future and gets back to being a beacon of hope in our community.
My boys don't even like coming to church with the restrictions and my oldest will ask why the church leader have more faith in Dr. Fauci (who has been all over the place) than in Christ. Even the recent studies have shown that there is no difference in 3' vs 6' social distancing. I'm betting the same is true mask vs no-mask. After all, most of these "masks" have basically zero filtration and yet our so called "experts" say they are making a difference. People take risks every day they decide to roll out of bed. I just believe our church has helped to feed the fear rather than give us comfort that God is in control.
I love our church and am praying for change in this area. Church and state are separate for so many reasons, and receiving emails from church with rules that are similar to health department briefings is not ok. We want to worship Jesus without masks on our faces, while still respecting and leaving room for those who feel differently. Praying Calvary moves in a direction of personal choice.
People should be able to decide on their own how they deal with Corona. Our church has decided to cater to those who are more fearful while shunning those who aren't as fearful.
For those that need that have health concerns, perhaps a section of the sanctuary could be reserved for masked persons.
Praying for our church elders and family. Lord give us wisdom and courage.
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I am uncomfortable with the language that the elders are in direct conflict with their biblical mandate. I believe they have had good intentions, and have made difficult decisions while trying to keep both the spiritual and physical needs of the flock in mind. However, despite their good intentions, I am convinced that the restrictions have been burdensome and have contributed to a feeling of isolation, negatively impacting the spiritual, emotional, and mental health of many, particularly our youth. I implore the elders to lift the restrictions and give each individual the liberty to decide for themselves what precautions they wish to take.