Pastor Kirk Youngblood of Parker Bible Church in Parker, Colorado, refuses to bow to COVIDCon and close his church, ban singing, require masks, etc. He lists Scriptural reasons for his stance; many of them, such as the inability to partake of a “virtual” Lord’s Supper or to baptize new believers, are ones we’ve previously discussed here on LRC. But he also offers this new insight:

The church is not the church unless it is meeting together in person. No virtual or online format is a suitable substitute for the church being the church. The Greek term for “church” in the New Testament is “ekklesia” and it literally means “an assembly of called out ones.” Obviously, a non-assembling assembly is a contradiction in terms. For the church to be the church (biblically) it must assemble together. In fact, Scripture commands believers to do this. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “…let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day [the day of Christ’s return] drawing near.” A key element in the ability for Christians to “stimulate one another to love and good deeds” and to encourage one another is by assembling together. According to Scripture, this is not to be forsaken.

Amen! Thanks to Mark Carroll for alerting me to this dear brother and his integrity!

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