CN Morning Rundown: Pastor Challenges Andy Stanley on Comments About Closing Churches

Here’s a quick summary of the top stories on cn.mycharisma.com:

Open Letter to Andy Stanley: Churches Should Not Be Handcuffed

Note: All pastors relate to COVID differently depending on their perspective and circumstances. They are under tremendous pressure and need more grace. I’m sure that Andy Stanley has done much good in his community, and for that, I applaud him. However, I don’t think that his comments can go unchecked: “Iron sharpens iron” (Prov. 27:17a).

In a recent interview, Andy Stanley, pastor of Atlanta’s North Point Community Church, said he is “embarrassed” by churches that engaged in “spitting matches” with state and local governments over COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, lamenting that far too many churches “abandoned the mission for the sake of the model.”

No, we haven’t abandoned the mission because the mission is to be salt and light, to bring truth to a lost and perishing world and to stand boldly for the Word of God. We need to abandon fear and stop believing falsehoods leveled by those with an agenda to silence the pulpits and stop the spread of the gospel.

Cuomo Defiant as Calls for Resignation Rise

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo continues to refuse calls for his resignation even after the two highest-ranking Democrats in his state joined the many asking him to consider leaving his position in the wake of dual scandals: the first related to his administration’s handling of COVID-19 reporting in nursing homes and the second related to his alleged sexual harassment of multiple women.

Five women have now spoken out against Cuomo, including two more who came forward Saturday with additional accusations of inappropriate behavior. Although Cuomo has appeared apologetic for some of the reported interactions, he has flatly denied others, per Fox News.

In a brief Sunday conference call with reporters, Cuomo said “there is no way” he would step down. “I was elected by the people of this state. I wasn’t elected by politicians. I’m not going to resign because of allegations.”

Pastor’s Raw Response to COVID-19: ‘My Heart Is Heavy,’ but ‘God Is Still God’

“She’s got cancer, and I can’t be there for her.”

Pastor Timothy Sloan shared these heartbreaking words in a video revealing the raw, vulnerable and often-overlooked reality of pastoring during a pandemic. As a young woman in his congregation neared the end of her cancer fight, Sloan reveals the difficulty in caring from afar for the family as they mourn the loss of their daughter, who has now since gone to be with the Lord.

“This is what we do. And COVID has made it so we can’t be there,” he says, wiping tears from his face. {eoa}

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