Greetings and grace to you in the wonderful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  God’s goodness continues to be manifested towards us all the time!  His provision in all things remain remarkable.  Please join me in giving of thanks and asking the Lord to supply wisdom and make known His will in how He desires ERBC to be faithful stewards of His provisions.

We joyfully announce Abby McCown as ERBC’s new Children’s Ministry Director & Administrative Assistant to the Pastor.  Please pray for Abby and the Lord’s leadership as she seeks Him regarding the Children’s ministry.  Look for an article from Abby next month!

We continue to gather four times per week.  Sunday School is at 9:30am, meeting in four age appropriate groups.  Children 3 year old through 5th Grade meet in the Fellowship Hall.  Youth (6-12th Grade) are meeting in the Youth Area.  Young Single Adults meet in room #204 and Adults with all 2 year old and younger children in the Sanctuary.  ERBC’s Worship services are Sunday’s @ 10:30am and Wednesday’s @ 7pm onsite and online.  Sunday evenings currently is a gathering to study The Church Functioning @ 5:30pm.  We ask everyone to continue exercising personal responsible regarding their own health as well as in consideration of the health of others at this time.

In the light of what is happening in parts of our country regarding the Church gathering to worship the Lord, let us know what the Word of God says to us.  We read in Acts 5:26-29, “Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.  And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,  Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”  Peter, John, the early church and Christians throughout history have understood God’s government overrules men’s government and having been willing to obey God rather than men.  This, many have done even when it meant loving not their lives unto the death.  Never thought I would see the day in America when government officials would post “Cease and Desist” orders on the doors of churches.  For those who say it’s a health issue and the government has the right to do so, do they?  The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says otherwise.  “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”  If Congress shall make no law, neither shall any state or local governments shall make any law “prohibiting the free exercise” of religion.  Our founding fathers understood that the spiritual health of the nation was of the utmost importance, listing it first even before freedom of speech and of the press.  We must understand in the light of governments taking basically no action to stop “un-peaceably” gatherings (riots), allowing other things to proceed in this so called “state of emergency” but issues cease and desist orders and restrictions to churches that are not imposed on others as a violation of the First Amendment and our religious freedom.  If we do not take a stand now, this violation will only grow and intensify.  If your life was threatened with death if you continue to publicly worship the Lord, would you worship the Lord?   Who truly rules your life?  “We ought to obey God rather than men” and love not our lives unto the death.

By His grace,

Toney