The Church's Response to Covid 19

Case Study Thirteen: Despite Everything… God is Still in Control Hartlen Coats Hartlen Coats has pastored 12 churches, including 2 years on the mission field. He also spent 5 years in Christian radio ministry and has engaged in itinerant ministry. He and his wife, Dianne, reside in a suburb of Tulsa, OK, where he is Founder/President of Hartlen G. Coats Ministries.

Context: Suburban Oklahoma Affiliation: Small Charismatic Denomination Size: 75 average attendance Introduction This report is a brief study of a local church and its response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It studies the church’s actions during a period of being closed, as well as afterwards. It includes feedback from interviews with the Lead Pastor and two congregational members. As part of the study, I reviewed online live streaming services before, during, and after the period when the church was closed. As a former member, pastoral staff member, and personal friend of the Lead Pastor, I will be adding some behind the scenes insights.

Church Context New Life Church is located in a medium-sized city in Oklahoma, and is housed in one of its major suburbs. The pre-pandemic attendance averaged seventy-five, with a contemporary, charismatic worship style. It is a member of a small charismatic denomination. The governance was pastor-led with a corporate board for legal decisions. The Lead Pastor is the only paid employee and other pastoral staff serve on a voluntary 201