On March 16, 2020, without warning, without prior planning for the safety of our employees and those we serve, the office doors of Northeastern Conference (NEC) closed. By the end of March, most of the churches throughout the NEC territory had closed their doors. During this same time, I was lying between the couch and the bed, trying to find whatever comfort I could, having been stricken with the coronavirus. Your world and mine became chaotic, anxious, and uncertain.
How do you answer the one question on most of our minds: “What’s next?” Today that question has been answered, and, looking back, we wonder if that was a valid question. It was! And it wants to raise its head again as we approach the warnings and evidence of a second wave of the coronavirus. However, I am reminded of the words of Ellen White. “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and his teaching in our past history”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 10.
During the first quarantine ever experienced by most of us, we made it by faith and trust in our God, by the faithfulness of the members of Northeastern Conference, and by the collaborative efforts of conference administration, pastors, officers, and members under the guidance of the Holy Spirit through much prayer. We look back and know that the unseen hand of God and His promises led us in miraculous ways.
God did not give me a financial plan or warning, as he did Joseph, to handle the widespread famine in Egypt. There was nothing in my financial training to deal with this. So, what does one do? I’ve learned that God’s work is different than any other. His income is dependent on His blessings, and any shortfall is also dependent on Him. I have seen God do abundantly beyond my ability and expectation, since being here at Northeastern. As I brought it all to Him in prayer and Bible study, He rested Jeremiah 32:27 in my spirit: “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there any thing too hard for me?” (NKJV)
The pandemic has fast-paced us into using technology, that has been available for years, to do business digitally, thus we were able to put it into place immediately. We are not all tech-savvy, but we cannot stop the direction in which we are going. Change is never easy, but it is inevitable. As churches reopen, we will encourage the continued use of digital platforms for online giving. However, we will not discard giving through physical means. If you are like me, it does feel good to bring the tithe into the storehouse.
The financial future of the churches and the conference will continue to depend on our faithfulness and God’s provision. We must, however, accept the following: NEC has experienced significant financial losses; we now do church, ministry, and education differently; and we have seen that the future requires adjustments.
As an administration, we must now plan with the “new normal,” which is our “current reality,” in mind. Funding will need to be redirected to assist in building the digital and virtual infrastructure needed to minister to the spiritual needs of our members and to evangelize the masses, while there is still that opportunity. I believe challenging times are opportunistic times, which breed innovation as we meet the mission of God’s church. The church militant will be the church triumphant.
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—Robert Chandler, treasurer, Northeastern Conference
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