Good News - April 2021

COVER STORY 27 APRIL 2021 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition TUR CUL ENTER E. AIN MEN T .T All the th peace of GOOD GREA ings they love, w mind you need t FRIENDS T FOOD. ith the o know . T Safe, Vib Delicious Engaging Security ranquil O - - they’re sa rant Environment & Nutritious Chef-Prep Social & Educational E of Licensed Nurses On utdoor Space fe ared Meals vents Daily Site 24/7 TheAr Find Out .com/GoodNew tisWay 561-288-2213 The Artis W More about Memory ay Care Artis Se 5910 N Assisted Check ou , Boca R nior Living of Boca Raton: orth Federal Highway Living Facility License #AL12835 t our other nearby community in Davie. from an economic perspective, but it appeared that he at some point chose profits over people and chose politics over people and I think that it landed us in a pre- carious predicament or a worse situation than possibly we could have been in.” While New Mount Olive has provided services such as administrative support for the vaccines, drive-thru food and PPE distribution, phone counseling and online services, the church remains closed for in-person worship. Davidson explained, “I try to use wisdom based on what is best for our context, and I say that like this – If I say black lives matter when it comes to police brutality, black lives have to matter when it comes to bringing them together collectively in a large space that jeopard- izes their lives. If their lives matter, their lives have to matter at all times and in all circumstances. And guess what, it was not always a popular decision, but it has been a decision that I have been able to sleep with at night knowing that I didn’t put anybody in harm’s way by creating a super spreader event.” O’Neal Dozier , Pastor of The Worldwide Christian Center, said he was “very appreciative” to Governor DeSantis “because he recognized the church as an essential entity in the community and kept them open when COVID first hit us. If he hadn’t actually done that, the municipalities may have said churches shut down and of course that would have placed houses like me in a terrible predicament because we were determined to keep our churches open.” While they livestream services, Dozier said, “What ended up happening is the overwhelming majority stayed home, but I was still able to have 85-90 people in church every Sunday morning…We social distance, everybody wears a mask and every week we sanitize the church and, of course, we haven’t had anyone who died or nothing like that.” However,Dozier added, “The thing I would love to see him do more is to go after the vaccination of the poor in the community and the black communities. That needs to be pushed more.” Striking a balance Bernard King, Sr., Pastor of Cornerstone Bible Fellowship , said “I think Governor DeSantis is doing not just an admirable job, but an excellent job. I appreciate his courage, his convictions, not being intimidated or bullied by po- litical pressure from the left and from other states. He stays true to the research and the science, and I really appreciate the fact that Floridians should be able to live and live freely and not be under the scourge of a mandate. We know that as a state we are somewhat flourishing…You’re not going to get rid of the virus just like you’re not going to get rid of the flu, so I think he’s done a good job with what is common sense.” Former Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler affirmed, “The governor is cer- tainly a man of faith and I think he has shown that throughout his tenure both in Congress and as governor, so I appreciate that. Although I haven’t always agreed with him on every move he made, I commend him for trying to strike a balance on keeping the economy open, focusing on recovery, focusing on jobs, focusing on economic activity and at the same time not losing site of the public health, the science and the safety concerns, and that’s a very delicate balance he’s had to maintain.” An usher and lector at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Seiler said he agrees with the governor’s decision to designate churches as essential and set some as vaccination sites. “As a foundational bedrock of our community if you want to get the word out, the church is a great way to do it… There’s still people who are unsure about COVID-19 and unsure about the vaccinations. I just got vaccinated but I’ve talked to people who are very educated and they’re unsure because its such a new vaccine… so I’m hoping the faith-based community helps us all deal with the anxiety and stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, the recovery and this whole thing with vaccinations.” After a recent conversation with Governor DeSantis during a dinner in Boca Raton, Edwin Copeland , Church United Director, said, “It was just interesting to hear his take. He does understand the roll of church and faith and early on com- municated this. As our communities are going to experience a lot of social isola- tion, social pressure, vocational pressure, we need our churches more than ever. He completely understood that.”