Introduction
The coronavirus is here, and seems to be here to stay. We have seen governments all over the world handle the virus in different ways. Some that seem reasonable, such as Sweden, and others that are outright tyrannical, such as Australia. With the government responses so varied, and potential vaccine mandates coming down the line, many Americans are concerned with the concept of forced vaccination.
Don’t Jump to Conclusions
This post is not meant to discuss or debate the dangers of the virus, the efficacy of vaccines, or to persuade anyone to get or not get the vaccine. The position we at Journey Community Church have taken is personal autonomy. If you want to get the vaccine, get it. If you don’t want to, that is your choice as well. If you attend our church you will not be asked about vaccination status. We are called by God to gather to worship Christ together, and we do not want to put a barrier to entry that is not mandated by scripture.
Religious Exemptions
There are many people concerned about the vaccine mandates, and there are biblical reasons for Christians to be able to stand up against these sorts of mandates. To address this desire, the elders and Journey Community Church are willing to sign a Religious Exemption notice for anyone who is a member or regular attendee at Journey Community Church. I would like to give thanks to Apologia Church for providing us with their Religious Exemption letter as a template for us to use. You can view their letter here.
Conclusion
If you are a member or regular attendee at Journey Community Church, and would like us to fill out a Religious Exemption form for you, please reach out to Chris, Mike, or myself, and we can get it filled out for you. If you are reading this and are not a part of our church, I would recommend going to the elders of your church and requesting they do the same for you. Apologia has granted free use of their form for other churches to utilize.