Some version of “The Golden Rule” exists in every religious tradition, demonstrating the importance of caring for our neighbor as an act of faithfulness. We can and should be guided by common concern to protect life, particularly during a pandemic when our behavior has a direct and immediate impact on the lives of those around us. In our current context, “Love Your Neighbor” means “wear a mask.”
We are particularly mindful of this faithful duty in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 150,000 Oklahomans have contracted the virus since the crisis began and more than 1,500 have died. The state is averaging more than 2,000 new positive cases a day, with daily cases spiking in the last weeks. The entirety of Oklahoma is in the Orange Alert Level according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health (1). According to the White House Coronavirus Task Force, “Oklahoma is in the red zone for cases, indicating 101 or more new cases per 100,000 population, with the 22nd highest rate in the country. Oklahoma is in the red zone for test positivity, indicating a rate at or above 10.1%, with the 11th highest rate in the country” (2). These are staggering numbers that signify “a severe and uncontrolled level of COVID-19, meaning outbreaks are present and worsening and testing and contact tracing capacity is strained or exceeded,” according to the Tulsa Health Department (3). We are all hopeful about a vaccine to fight this deadly virus, but we recognize that full implementation of this vaccine will take many more months.
While the COVID-19 pandemic is a public health crisis, it is also a crisis for people of faith. How should our churches and houses of worship respond to the loss of life and sickness of so many of our neighbors? Should people of faith take action to protect life? What is the faithful response to this crisis when the political response is inadequate?
We call on people of faith across the state of Oklahoma to covenant together to protect and care for our communities, medical professionals, and the vulnerable by:
1) Worshipping online only and calling on houses of worship to return to or provide for the first-time online worship.
2) Limiting social interactions to essential activities only and avoiding gatherings of any size.
3) Advocating for local and statewide mask and stay-at-home measures to stem the dramatically increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in Oklahoma.
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(1) COVID-19: Oklahoma State Department of Health |. (2020, November 16). Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://coronavirus.health.ok.gov/
(2) White House Coronavirus Task Force. (2020, November 8). Oklahoma State Report Issue 21. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://coronavirus.health.ok.gov/sites/g/files/gmc786/f/oklahoma_state_report_-_11-08-20.pdf
(3) Jones, C. (2020, November 16). 'We're not in a good place': 22 Tulsa County ZIP codes in severe COVID-19 risk category. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/we-re-not-in-a-good-place-22- tulsa-county-zip-codes-in-severe-covid/article_748baca2-25df-11eb-a21f-17083eb6af35.html
Rev. Shannon Fleck, Executive Director, Oklahoma Conference of Churches
The Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma
Aliye Shimi, Executive Director, Tulsa Metropolitan Ministries
Pastors for Oklahoma Kids
Rev. Tim Blodgett, General Presbyter, Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery
Rev. Charlie Smith, Interim Presbytery Pastor, Indian Nations Presbytery
Rev. Gordon Edwards, General Presbyter, Cimarron Presbytery
Bishop James G. Nunn, Bishop, Oklahoma United Methodist Church and Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference of the UMC
Dr. Edith Guffey, Conference Minister, Kansas-Oklahoma Conference of the United Church of Christ
Rex Friend, The Religious Society of Friends, Oklahoma
Kathy Neufield Dunn, WDC Western Conference Minister, Mennonite Church
Rev. Pamela Holt, Regional Minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Oklahoma
Rev. Jesse Jackson, Pastor, The East Sixth Street Christian Church, Oklahoma City, OK
Rev. Jay Williams, Mosaic UMC, Oklahoma City, OK
Rev. Todd Freeman, College Hill Presbyterian Church, Tulsa, OK
Dr. Bruce Prescott, Retired Executive Director, Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists
Rev. Susanna Weslie Southard, faculty member, Phillips Theological Seminary
Rev. Mark W. Polson, Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Idabel, OK
Rev. Tom Stanley, Senior Minister of Central Christian Church of Enid, Ok
Rev. Jessica Maynard, Pastor, West Guthrie United Methodist Church, Guthrie, OK
Rev. Michael Robnett, Associate Pastor, Bartlesville First United Methodist Church, Bartlesville, OK
Rev. Matthew D. Franks, Lead Pastor, Tahlequah United Methodist Church, Tahlequah, OK
Rev. Dr. Sonja Tobey, Lead Pastor, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Lawton, OK
Rev. Marla Lobo, Wesley United Methodist Church, Oklahoma City, OK
Anne Walker, Ph.D., Saint Paul School of Theology
Rev. Stephen Cagle, Pastor, Sand Springs United Methodist Church, Sand Springs, OK
Rev. Paul W. Calkin, Mayfair Heights United Methodist Church, Oklahoma City, OK
Rev. Emily L. Robnett, Associate Pastor at Bartlesville First United Methodist Church, Bartlesville, OK
Rev. Anna Marie George, Morris and Schulter UMC
Rev. Scott Spencer, Mosaic United Methodist Church, Oklahoma City, OK
Rev. Chris Moore, Senior Minister, Fellowship UCC, Tulsa, OK
Rev. Dr. Gary Peluso-Verdend, President Emeritus and Executive Director of the Center for Religion in Public Life, Phillips Theological Seminary
Rev. Dr. Robert R.A. Turner, Historic Vernon Chapel AME Church, Tulsa, OK
Rev. Andy Campbell, Minister of Yale Avenue Christian Church in Tulsa, OK
Rev. Dr. Lori Walke, Senior Pastor of Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ in Oklahoma City, OK
Rev. Tracy Evans, Pastor, Memorial Presbyterian Church, Norman, OK
Rev. David Wheeler, Pastor, Federated Church in Weatherford, OK and First Congregational United Church of Christ in Norman, OK
Rev. Dr. Debi Powell-Maxwell, Christian Church (DOC) in OK
Rev Jen Logsdon-Kellogg, Associate Pastor, Boston Ave UMC, Tulsa, OK
Rev. Dr. Tiffany A. Nagel Monroe, Shawnee St. Paul’s UMC, Shawnee, OK
Rev. T Sheri Amore Dickerson, Associate Minister, East Sixth Street Christian Church, Oklahoma City, OK
Rev. Larry T. Crudup, Senior Pastor at Tabernacle Baptist Church of Oklahoma City, OK
Father W. Lee Domenick, Rector, Trinity Episcopal Church, Tulsa, OK
Rev Jeni Markham Clewell, Mosaic United Methodist Church, Oklahoma City, OK
Rev. David Conrad, Pastor, Oklahoma United Methodist Church
Rev. Dr. Thomas Hoffmann, Senior Pastor, Hope United Methodist Church, Tulsa, OK
Rev. Dr. David Clewell, Retired United Methodist pastor, Edmond, OK
Israel Hogue, Pastor of simplicity Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Oklahoma City, OK
Rev. William F. Todd, United Methodist minister Oklahoma conference, retired
Rev. Nancy Eggen, Kansas-Oklahoma Conference of The United Church of Christ
Rev. Jinx M. Barber, Senior Pastor, Dewey United Methodist Church
Clergy representative for Dewey Ministerial Association
Rev. Bill Hemm, Sr. Minister, Forest Park Christian Church, Tulsa, OK
Rev. Kris Ladusau, The Dharma Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Rabbi Vered Harris, Temple B’nai Israel, Oklahoma City, OK
Rabbi Abby Jacobson, Emmanuel Synagogue, Oklahoma City, OK
Rev. Jon Middendorf, Pastor, OKC First Church of the Nazarene, Oklahoma City, OK
Rev. Bill Inglish, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Rev. Don Tabberer, retired elder serving Drumright First UMC, Drumright, OK
Rev. Kathy Brown, Pastor, St. Paul’s UMC, Tulsa, OK
Jamaal Dyer, Senior Pastor, Friendship Church, Tulsa, OK
Rev. Lucus Levy Keppel, Co-Pastor, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Bixby
Fr. Dewayne Messenger, Pastor, All Saints/ Todos Los Santos Ecumenical Catholic Church, Tulsa
Rev. Kara Y. Farrow, Fellowship Lutheran Church, Tulsa, OK
Rev. Charla B. Gwartney, Senior Pastor, Faith United Methodist Church, Tulsa, OK
Rabbi Michael Weinstein, Temple Israel, Tulsa, OK
Rabbi Lily Kowalski, Temple Israel, Tulsa, OK
Clark Frailey, Pastor, Coffee Creek Baptist Church, Edmond, OK
Rev. Jack Terrell-Wilkes, Lawton Heights United Methodist Church, Lawton, OK
Rev. Trey Witzel, First United Methodist Church, Edmond, OK
Rev. Jean M. Neal, New Faith Baptist Church, Tulsa, OK
Rev. Keith O. McArtor, Centenary United Methodist Church, Tulsa, OK
Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman, The Synagogue I Congregation B’nai Emunah, Tulsa, OK
Rev. Andrea Clark Chambers, Assistant Pastor, Antioch Baptist Church, Tulsa, OK
Rev. Cathey Edwards, Unitarian Universalist Minister, Tulsa, OK
Rev. Dr. Rodney Goss, Morning Star Baptist Church, Tulsa
Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman, The Synagogue | Congregation B’nai Emunah, Tulsa
Rev. Andrea Clark Chambers, Assistant Pastor, Antioch Baptist Church, Tulsa
Rev. Bryan Tener, UMC Discipleship Ministries, Oklahoma UMC
Rev. Dr. Grayson L. Lucky, United Methodist Church, Retired, Oklahoma Annual Conference UMC