Following the move by the President of the United States of America, President Donald Trump, to gradually open up the economy, Donald Trump had a few days ago categorized places of worship as “Essential”.
This declaration ultimately paved the way for various places of worship for different faith communities in the US to gradually open up.
However, considering the fact that data shows that the black community in the US account for more of the deaths recorded due to Covid19 in the US, Bishop TD Jakes has rather decided to act differently from the direction of the president.
The Bishop made this known in a tweet that he released and it reads thus;
“As you know, the death toll from the corona virus continues to rise steadily and is approaching the 100,000 mark nationally. Many communities are also reporting an increase in the number of hospitalizations and infections. Public health officials are recommending that the current precautionary measures remain in place.
We take this recommendation very seriously. For this reason, we are delaying the re-opening of The Potter’s House of Dallas and its affiliated campuses We make this decision out of love for you and out of concern for your safety and health. Several churches who have disregarded CDC guidelines have experienced outbreaks in the churches and thereby the community, resulting in deaths and suffering. In an overabundance of caution, I’m going to delay reopening until we can resume effectively and safely.
For me this decision to open our church isn’t predicated on a particular date, but rather a long-awaited state of perpetual decline. As African Americans, Latinos, older people, individuals with pre-existing health maladies, and others are at high risk, we cannot afford to move as quickly as other populations whose death rates aren’t as disproportionately high as ours.
Your well-being is our priority. And though we are literally anguished by the separation, it seems prudent to watch the trends awhile longer before making a rash decision that could compromise your health and those you love!
In the meantime, we will continue to hold church services online and to remain connected with you by telephone, email, social media, and our myriad of outreach services. compromise your health and those you love!”
What do you think about the Bishop’s position? Let’s have your say in the comments section.
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