Prisons COVID 19
Saun Hough (left), associate pastor at Crossroads United Methodist Church in Compton, Calif., hands reentry hygiene kits to Jerrel McCoy, lead community health worker at SHIELDS For Families. The church mobilized to create 3,500 kits for citizens released from prison by the state of California. (Photo courtesy of Crossroads United Methodist Church.)
A United Methodist Insight Column
Hardly any United Methodists these days can say that he or she doesn’t have a family member, friend, neighbor or coworker who has contracted COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. In our family, one of our marriage-related kinfolks who’s a jail guard in Florida is currently battling the disease at home.
The plight of both inmates and those who work in prisons and jails has garnered attention again as COVID-19 cases spike in detention facilities all around the United States. Kathy L. Gilbert of UM News has an article this week, "Prisoners facing crisis during COVID-19 about United Methodist efforts to aid incarcerated people given early release because of COVID-19 dangers. She writes:
“Advocates for the early release of some prisoners say COVID-19 has exposed the broken and unjust prison systems where 2.2 million people — disproportionally people of color — live in overcrowded cells without proper protection and testing for the disease.
“And little is known about how many people held in immigration detention centers have or are at risk for COVID-19.”
In addition to direct aid, the General Board of Church and Society urges United Methodists to be advocates for the early release of at-risk incarcerated people convicted of low-level crimes. Church and Society asks church members to call on Congress to:
- Lift International Sanctions
- Reform Prisons, Jails, and Migrant Detention
- Combat Systemic Racism and Discrimination in COVID-19
- Increase Access to Food Assistance Programs
Church leaders more hopeful about future
Pastors and lay leadership are growing more hopeful about the future of local congregations now that people have become more accustomed to online worship and giving, reports Heather Hahn of UM News. Many churches now say they’re holding their own despite closed buildings. In some cases, congregations have found new attendees for their online services, while giving that declined at first during the pandemic has begun to rebound.
Heather Hahn Local churches show resilience in crisis
COVID-19 gets World Methodist attention
Issues related to the global coronavirus pandemic have captured the interest of World Methodist Evangelism’s biweekly week podcast titled "Real Faith - Real World," reports Dr. David W. Scott of UM & Global. The podcast, which focuses on how to share Wesleyan faith in contemporary times, is hosted by UM Professors of Mission member Dr. Robert Haynes.
‘Disparities Exposed’ videos offer action links
Episodes of Church and Society’s webinar, “COVID-19: Pre-existing Disparities Exposed” are now posted online along with links on how to take action around the issues it presents. The series examines how the coronavirus pandemic has exposed racial disparities in discrimination, health care and economics, making it an excellent resource for congregations beginning to tackle the challenge of racism in the country. The webinars replaced Church and Society’s usual in-person seminars curtailed by the pandemic.
Links to the episodes and their follow-up actions:
- “Systemic Racism and Discrimination during COVID-19”; Take-Action.
- “Confined and Vulnerable: Detained and Incarcerated during COVID-19” Take-Action
- “From the Earth to the Table: Food Insecurity during COVID-19”; Take-Action
- “A Just and Peaceable Global Response: Sanctions & Debt Relief”; Take-Action:
- “Imagining a Just Economy Post-COVID-19”; Take-Action
‘Sheltering in Love’ grants top $1.5 million
The General Board of Global Ministries’ “Engage” newsletter reports: “Churches, conferences, and non-profit organizations are using UMCOR Sheltering in Love grants to combat COVID-19 in many different ways, but are all working toward the same goal: to support the most vulnerable in their communities. To date, 145 grants have been awarded, totaling $1,548,334.”
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.