♦N 5, 2020
Montgomery Bap st Priori es: We will priori ze the…
 Gospel above all by mee ng human need and plan ng gospel seed
 Star ng and replan ng of churches for all people
 Equipping and sending of pastors and missionaries to the River Region and the ends of the earth.
Observations from the Church
and the 1918 Spanish Flu
The season of COVID-19 continues. As I write
this article, President Trump's chief of staff, Mark
Meadows, admitted that the United States was "not
going to control the pandemic," arguing that
"proper mitigation factors" like therapies and
vaccines should be the priority, as new Covid-19
cases continue to spike. It does appear that we are
moving well into 2021 before we see any change
in the "hills and valleys" of the Coronavirus.
Perhaps the present church of 2020 can learn from
Neal Hughes how the churches of 1918 dealt with the dreaded
Director of Missions
pandemic called Spanish Influenza. Recently,
the SBCLIFE Journal interviewed several church
history professors from Southern Baptist seminaries ("The Shuttered
Church," SBCLIFE Journal, Nashville: Southern Baptist Convention
Executive Committee, Fall 2020, http://www.sbclife.net/). Here are
some highlights of the church of the living God managing in a time
of uncertainty:
• The church of 1918 was limited in their communication.
Therefore, the issues did not take a "media front seat" like 2020,
with social media and other communication forms. It rarely
received frontline news for the two years of the pandemic but
instead appeared on page six or seven of the newspaper. The lack
of minute media may have played an essential part in God's
people not struggling with fear and anxiety as much as it appears
to be the case in the present day.
• The church of 1918 was shuttered and not allowed to meet
inside or outside. The city government played a significant role
in the shutdown. Some churches closed for months. The fine for
opening up was $100.00. While most concurred with officials,
Southern Baptist Churches led the way with rebelling against
such action (we really haven't changed much, have we?). It is
recorded that one pastor in Kentucky attempted to open his
church twice. Our brother was fined a total of $200.00. Like Otis
of Andy Griffith, he could not pay his fine, so the pastor went to
jail for two weeks. The sheriff allowed him to bring some of his
furnishings to his cell while incarcerated. Although we may have
some isolated cases in the nation where the church has been
persecuted, I do not know of any of our MBA pastors who have
gone to jail for their convictions.
• The churches of 1918 did not have a systemic plan to collect
offerings when not together. There are stories of pastors going
door to door to collect tithes and offerings. Unable to enter the
house because of the virus, many families arranged for a pre-
determined spot where the pastor could pick up their tithe to the
Lord. It sounds like the old insurance days when the agent found
the clothes pin's premiums by the front door mailbox. Today's
churches are blessed to have electronic means and appropriate
mail service to secure the funding for the church. For most, bank
drafts, PayPal, Push Pay, and many other devices and apps allow
Christ-followers to support the church's work easily. Most
churches have weathered well financially in 2020.
Montgomery Baptist Association • 20 Interstate Park Dr. • Montgomery, Alabama 36109 • 334-271-6227 • www.mgmbaptists.org
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• The churches of 1918 persevered in isolation for two
years. Overall, they dedicated themselves to moving forward as
the body of Christ. One observation from a seminary professor
who was interviewed states, "Despite the obstacles that a member
of an SBC church faced with the Spanish Flu, there was a deep
determination to continue pushing forward with missions and
discipleship efforts." While we may have many views on how to
do church in 2020, we must rededicate ourselves even more to
push forward with missions and discipleship efforts.
Let this season not be about COVID-19 robbing us of our fellowship,
but the pandemic challenging us to trust God, set evangelistic goals,
and do whatever it takes to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Together We Can!
Neal
Families Count
Lifeline Children’s Services partners with churches offering training
programs to assist at-risk families achieve permanency through the
foster care / adoption system.
Join us November 12 at 11:30 a.m. for an informational meeting at
the MBA or via Zoom to find out how your church can impact our
county, state, nation and the world by making families count. Please
RSVP at tmoment@mgmbaptists.org or 334-271-6227 designating to
participate via Zoom or in person.
Throwback Thursday: From the Archives
Thanks to Lonette Berg, executive director, Alabama Baptist
Historical Commission, for this submission. In 1835, First Baptist
Church, Montgomery and its pastor, James H. DeVotie, weren’t
getting along. In fact, the church had voted to terminate DeVotie at
a called meeting in May of that year. The church also sent out a
letter to 5 ministers, asking them to come help resolve their
differences with DeVotie. Alexander Travis was the only one who
responded. He made his way from Conecuh County to Montgomery
to try and help unify the two sides. To maintain neutrality, Travis
refused to stay in the homes of either group and stayed in a hotel
instead. After each side had their say, Travis called a prayer
meeting. At first, DeVotie, said he wouldn’t come to the meeting,
but later came and stood behind the door to listen. Travis prayed a
powerful and passionate prayer for repentance and unity. DeVotie
was so moved that he came out from behind the door, walked down
the aisle in tears, and prayed for a restoration of fellowship.