What South Korean Christians Want You to Know About Coronavirus
About a month after the first coronavirus case appeared in South Korea, an infected man attended Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a cult of more than 300,000 that believes Jesus was reincarnated in its leader. This man ended up infecting thousands—in fact, more than 60 percent of the nearly 8,500 cases in the country have been linked to Shincheonji.
Though South Korea hasn’t required a lockdown, most churches voluntarily had closed their doors by March 1. That decision was emotional, since South Korean churches managed to keep services going even during the Korean War, said Steve Chang, a pastor in Seoul.
TGC asked if he has any advice for American churches. Here’s what he said.
Plan for a New Normal
Think long-term, at least twice as long as you think you need. South Korea was well equipp...