One of the most obvious perversions of this ecclesiastical overreach was the “administration of virtual communion” by some sessions! In their rejection of first principles, they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and issued declarations that bordered on idolatry. They tried to convince their flock that “virtual worship” was a viable substitute for corporate worship, and many have drunk the “Kool-Aid.”

Recently, Peter Van Doodewaard wrote COVID-19 Reflection on The Aquila Report, which I highly recommend to everyone before reading this article. It serves as a springboard for my thoughts here. Van Doodewaard concluded his article by saying: “We touched holy things, and this requires humble reflection. Maybe your next leadership meeting ought to include time for prayerful reflection on actions taken, followed by some honest communication with your congregation. May God help us in this work of reflection, give us true repentance where needed, and by this renew our commitment to the public worship of His holy name” (emphasis added).
These words convey a deep conviction that I have about the necessary response of church leaders (as a Presbyterian minister, I will refer to elder(s) and session(s) as the leaders of a congregation) who participated in the actions noted by Van Doodewaard (see his article). I agree with Van Doodewaard that church leaders, especially sessions of Presbyterian congregations, need to evaluate their actions and respond biblically in light of the truth that has been manifested.
Furthermore, I agree with Van Doodewaard that “true repentance” needs to be manifested by the leadership through public confession, “honest communication.”
I am convinced, especially with the truth that has been confirmed by the overwhelming weight of epidemiological research and data, that church leaders acted sinfully by shutting down weekly public corporate worship services. They usurped an authority that did not, does not, and will never come under their or the state’s jurisdiction. The worship of God is governed by the Lord Almighty Himself, and His Word alone has authority over the frequency and orderliness of corporate worship. Any session who prevented willing members from the opportunity to worship corporately on the Lord’s Day ruled and acted on matters that are way “above their pay grade.” They stood on holy ground without removing their sandals. They enforced actions that caused “little ones” to sin by preventing them to come into the house of the Lord to offer worship that is due His name. They abused their God-ordained authority by prohibiting corporate worship rather than promoting it.
One of the most obvious perversions of this ecclesiastical overreach was the “administration of virtual communion” by some sessions! In their rejection of first principles, they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and issued declarations that bordered on idolatry. They tried to convince their flock that “virtual worship” was a viable substitute for corporate worship, and many have drunk the “Kool-Aid.” Consequently, the church is still hemorrhaging from this soul-draining charade. It is no wonder that 20%-30% of former worshippers have not returned to weekly worship gatherings. Israel’s history should have taught us that idolatry will lead worshippers to pursue lesser gods.
Regardless of the uncertainties and fears that surrounded COVID-19, the unequivocal teaching of Scripture (“Remember/observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Ex 20:8; Dt 5:12; cf. Heb 10:25) should never have been overruled by circumstantial reasoning (“love your neighbor” or “submit to the governing authorities”) based on less relevant Scriptures. We must allow the more clear and more applicable passages of Scripture to be our guide over the less clear and less applicable passages of Scripture.
I suspect that most sessions are willing to admit that they would have acted differently in 2020 (for some churches as late as 2022) knowing what they know now about the “pandemic.” But if their retraction is only based on the reality of the undisputable data that has been gathered and reported, then they are still not humbling themselves under the revelation of God’s Word. I believe, as implied by Van Doodewaard, that the repentance of the session should not merely be based on the “science” alone but based fundamentally on the eternal truth of God’s Word.
Scientific research and data analysis will change in the days to come, but the truth of God’s Word endures forever. It is applicable to any and every age of human history. Therefore, elders must not only learn the many valuable lessons on how to respond in the future from this “test” but fundamentally they must repent of the sins that took them down some dark paths. Circumstances may change but our fleshly temptation will be not to trust in the Lord with all our hearts but lean on our own understanding (or the experts) and be wise in our own eyes rather than to be fools for Christ’s sake.
The need for ongoing repentance is vital not only for all believers but especially for elders who are called to shepherd God’s flock. Since the grace of repentance is a work of the Holy Spirit, we must not presume upon it. Rather, in humble reliance upon the Holy Spirit, we must pursue repentance in proportion to the light of truth that has been revealed to us. More light demands clearer and deeper repentance.
In the case of COVID-19, the truth is manifest to anyone who is willing to see and acknowledge it for what it was. Therefore, elders must be humble enough to confess how they have transgressed the law of God. In fact, the unique ecclesiastical authority that Christ has appointed to elders corresponds to a greater responsibility to demonstrate and model their willingness to confess sin, especially public sins that directly impacted the flock. “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” (Luke 12:48) The session’s heavy-handed lockdown of corporate worship needs to be the starting point for genuine repentance and confession.
Is public confession really necessary with regard to COVID-19 even when the session’s intentions were noble or for the congregation’s well-being? The Westminster Shorter Catechism (Q. 14) defines sin as “any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.” As the WSC rightly summarizes the teaching of Scripture, sin is not limited to those actions or thoughts that are purely malicious in nature. All sin is judged against the holy nature of God who cannot even look upon evil, regardless of the motives. The Bible categorizes sin as anything that falls short of the glory of God. Preventing willing congregants to gather for corporate worship did not conform to God’s commandments and transgressed what God requires regarding worship. Even if the session’s motives were pure, the action in and of itself was sinful, contrary to the Word of God. By their authoritative actions, the session denied and prevented God’s people from gathering for corporate worship as prescribed in Scripture. Sessions abused their appointed authority from God to restrict what God requires. They took upon themselves a prerogative that does not belong to them. They touched holy things that were forbidden for them to touch.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon those elders and sessions who participated in the COVID-19 overreach “not to content themselves with a general repentance, but it is every man’s duty to endeavor to repent of his particular sins, particularly” (Westminster Confession of Faith 15.5). Particular sins require particular repentance so that the gravity of each sin is confronted and mortified before God. Denying God His rightful worship entails a litany of sins (see Westminster Larger Catechism concerning the Ten Commandments).
The grace of repentance bears fruit in a believer’s life as the Holy Spirit produces “grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavour after, new obedience” (WSC Q. 87). The Holy Spirit graciously works repentance in a sinner’s heart to reveal the reality and heinousness of sin before a holy God and turns him in a way that conforms to God’s righteousness. Such a work of grace is necessary to restore sinners to God and to enjoy Him as they ought. It is also instrumental as a deterrent for faithful followers of Christ so that they will not easily succumb to the same sin. Elders need to examine the Scriptures carefully (additionally for Presbyterians their constitutional documents that they took an oath to uphold) and bear their souls before the Lord so that they might repent of their specific sins.
Moreover, the grace of repentance should manifest itself in the public confession of sin. Public sins require public confessions. For elders who have repented of their sins related to their oversight during COVID-19, these sins should be confessed to their congregation. Moving forward as though nothing deleterious happened during COVID-19 in the church will only normalize the sins that were committed. Such normalization has tragically infected many former churchgoers. The suspension of corporate public worship should be an extremely rare exception and only for a limited period of time. We must be wiser and more biblically discerning in the future and not be swept away by the urgency of the moment.
Confession is not only beneficial for the one who has repented and acknowledged his sins before God (1 Jn 1:9) but in the case of public sins, it facilitates reconciliation and restores trust between the parties affected by the sins. Many church members were negatively affected by the actions of the session as it related to COVID-19. Even though much of life in the world and in the church has returned to “normal,” many in the flock have been wounded, and some have even been driven away from the flock. Unfortunately, sheep were scattered by the shepherds and left to the wolves to fend for themselves. There are lost sheep who still need to be sought and returned to the fold.
Those who have returned to corporate worship would be blessed and encouraged to see their elders exemplify gospel repentance and confession. Elders need to lead the congregation in modeling this grace. Confession glorifies the forgiving grace of the gospel. It magnifies the sanctifying power of the gospel that should be active in the hearts of the elders. If these elders have not publicly confessed to their flock how they mismanaged the household of God, they are denying that their actions were harmful and sinful. They need to demonstrate their willingness to be accountable for their failures in leadership and for promoting foreign worship. Their humble confession would provide the congregation the glorious opportunity to extend forgiveness to them and experience the reconciling grace of the gospel. Displaying such gospel humility will go a long way in engendering trust between the session and the members and nurturing the relationship that the Lord has entrusted to the session.
We have witnessed over the past three years a rapid decline in the spiritual and moral state of our nation. The rejection of biblical truths has increased visibly and forcefully. Biblical realities of right and wrong have been discarded and replaced with demonic lies. Perversion to God’s creation ordinances is promoted by the state and even some “churches.” It is hard to deny that a Romans 1-like judgment of God is being revealed from heaven against our nation. It appears that God has given our nation over to her sins and there does not appear to be any slowing down of our moral and spiritual freefall. Barring a miraculous intervention of God’s mercy, our nation appears to be running headlong into the spiritual darkness that has already consumed much of Europe and Canada.
Is there a spiritual link between the current cultural decline and the response of the church to COVID-19? Is it merely coincidental that the spiritual decay of our nation has dramatically accelerated since 2020? I believe that the church is harboring an Achan in her camp. The decisions that many church leaders made were a direct affront to our covenant Lord. The church publicly bowed to various idols denying the Lord as her sovereign. The Lord’s judgment begins at the household of God and apart from repentance and confession, the American church will go the way of Israel into exile.
The time is now for church leaders to heed Jesus’ warning, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” (Rev 2:5) As the salt and light of the world, the church has a direct impact on our culture, either for good or for ill. She can be faithful in worshiping and serving God so as to be a blessing to the world or neglect her unique calling and be mocked by the world.
In rejecting her call to prioritize the public worship of God, the church is being thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. By putting the public worship of God under a basket, the church has allowed the darkness to take a foothold in our culture. Rather than glory, dishonor has been given to our Father because of the shame that the church has brought upon His name.
During an unprecedented season in our nation when so many people needed the truth and hope of the gospel lived out, the church vanished. She fell in line with the spirit of the age and forfeited her high privilege to proclaim boldly and unashamedly the power of the gospel.
Are we beyond the point of no return? Are we witnessing the first wave of another exile? That remains to be determined, but what is undeniable is the need for church leaders to repent and confess to their congregations the sins committed against God and God’s people during COVID-19. If the church has any hope of having her lampstand restored to her, she must begin by returning to her First Love.
Thankfully, God’s mercy and grace are greater than our sins, and He delights to magnify the glory of the gospel in His people’s lives. May the shepherds of God’s flock lead the way in humble repentance and confession so that public worship may be the light that our dark world so desperately needs.
Seth Yi is a Minister in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and is the Pastor of Newberry ARP in Newberry.
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A leader who doesn’t view himself as being inside an accountability structure effectively becomes a law unto himself. He teaches everyone under him to fear him, when it’s only God whom we should fear. Loyalty to a leader is indeed a good thing, but good loyalty is loyalty to his leadership under God and anyone else under whom God has placed him, like fellow elders or a congregation. Good loyalty says, “I’m committed to you and your success as a leader, and that means I cannot follow you into folly or unrighteousness, because it’s bad for both you and us.”

Good Authority Is Not Unaccountable but Submits to a Higher Authority
Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”—John 1:49
The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.—John 5:19
I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. —John 8:28
Jesus is king. Jesus obeys. How do we hold those two truths together? And what does it teach us about any authority we’ve been personally given?
Passages like these three in John’s Gospel offer us far more than “principles of good leadership.” We should be careful about merely trying to draw moral principles from passages that focus on the identity of the incarnate Christ and his relationship with the heavenly Father. Still, these passages do offer us such principles. For instance: good authority is never unaccountable, but always submits to a higher authority.
Jesus, the God-man, came to be declared king. Yet throughout his ministry on earth, he submitted himself perfectly to his Father in heaven. He spoke only what his heavenly Father taught him to speak, and did only what his heavenly Father taught him to do. Or as the apostle Paul put it, “the head of Christ is God” (1 Cor. 11:3).
Does Jesus Christ’s submission demean him? Only if righteousness and rule are demeaning.
Authority and submission are two sides of one coin. To be in authority you must be under it, and to be under it is to be in it. Furthermore, we exercise authority in order to uphold something that is righteous or true, and when we submit we render the judgment that that something is righteous or true.
Jesus’s submission to the heavenly Father was the declaration that God is righteous and true. For Jesus to rule, furthermore, he had to conform himself perfectly to the rule of the heavenly Father. He could rule like Adam was supposed to rule by submitting in a way Adam and Israel never submitted. By submitting, then, he ruled together with the heavenly Father in perfect righteousness.
Another Illustration: A Symphony Orchestra
Let me offer a less exalted illustration of how good authority always submits to a higher authority. My friend Susan offered me this one. Susan has played viola in a number of orchestras over the years. Generally speaking, a standard symphony orchestra has ten first violins, ten second violins, ten violas, eight cellos, and six double basses. Typically, the most skilled player plays the “first chair” of each section, also called the “principal,” and everyone in the section follows that principal. All the viola players follow the principal viola player, all the cellos the principal cellist, and so on. The principal of each section, in turn, follows the first chair of the first violins, called the “concertmaster,” who follows the orchestra conductor. The concertmaster tunes the entire orchestra before a concert, and then leads every string section when it comes to matters like timing, bowing, and so forth.
String players can adjust their bowing in a multitude of ways, each of which gives a piece of music a different interpretation. When do you bow up? When down? What style? How hard onto the strings? How lightly off? A piece written by Bach might call for one kind of bowing, Beethoven another, Debussy still another. But the point is, all the strings must bow together. And it’s up to the concertmaster to make this judgment, based on his or her understanding of the conductor’s direction. The principals of each section follow the concertmaster, and the players in every section follow their principals.
Everything in an orchestra, in fact, works according to such a hierarchy. People sitting in the even-numbered chairs (2, 4, and 6) turn the pages for people sitting in the odd chairs (1, 3, and 5), who rank slightly higher. If someone in a lower ranking chair has a question, she doesn’t raise her hand and ask the conductor. She asks the person in the chair in front of her.
If that person can’t answer, the question is passed forward person by person until it reaches the principal of that section. From there, a question would go to the concertmaster, and if the concertmaster cannot answer it, only then does it go to the conductor. If an orchestra tried to operate like a democracy, with all the members having their own say and choosing their own tuning, timing, and bowing, the music would sound terrible. Only by working within a strict hierarchy does an orchestra sound unified and glorious.
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When we look to Christ, we’re doing the same thing that the snake-bitten Israelites did in the desert. Stung by serpents, with venom coursing through their veins, they were doomed. The problem was within them—death was certain. Can you see the amazing simplicity of their salvation? As Spurgeon said, “look and live!” What must we do to receive God’s effective and ready help? Simply look! Even those who are suffering and weary can look. You may not feel you can run a race; maybe you can barely lift your head. But can you look?

It was a snowy day in January 1850, and Charles Spurgeon was only 15 years old. Walking to Sunday service at his own church, he was overcome by the snowstorm and slipped into a small, sparsely attended church along the way. The pastor was absent, presumably due to the storm, and a lay leader took to the pulpit. He preached on a single verse from Isaiah:
“Look to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:22)
That day changed young Charles Spurgeon forever—he came to a saving knowledge of Jesus. Spurgeon went on to be one of the most prolific ministers of the 19th century, whose mark on the church today is hard to overestimate.
Spurgeon was saved through the irresistible call of God’s Word to look to the only Savior. But what does “look to Christ” mean? It may feel frustrating because it sounds so deep and spiritual. How do we do it?
Deadly Snake Bites
In Numbers, we come to a truly harrowing scene as the people of Israel travel with Moses through the wilderness:
From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.  And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. (Numbers 21:4–9)
Did the people have to crawl over and touch the bronze serpent to be healed? Did they have to chant any particular words or pray with special emotion? No! They looked.
Our Only Cure: Look and Live!
When we look to Christ, we’re doing the same thing that the snake-bitten Israelites did in the desert. Stung by serpents, with venom coursing through their veins, they were doomed. The problem was within them—death was certain. Can you see the amazing simplicity of their salvation? As Spurgeon said, “look and live!” What must we do to receive God’s effective and ready help? Simply look! Even those who are suffering and weary can look.
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