Welcome to blog and May blog from Doug Wills.com. This audio is brought to you by

Canon Press. On Leaving a church over masks, September 3rd, 2020.

For some months now, Toby Sumter and I have been blogging about the challenges posed by the

mask mandates issued by various civil governments.

And it has been very apparent that we have taken the dim view of that whole enterprise.

But one of the downstream consequences of our very public position on this has been various

levels of disruption in different churches around the country where disagreements have arisen

over this issue.

In some of those disruptions, some folks have appealed to things we have written in defense of their

stance or actions, and so a friend has asked me to address some particular questions

as directly and clearly as I can.

This is long distance and every church situation is different, as are all the personalities.

But here are a handful of snapshot answers that I think get at the basic issues.

At the same time, I'm simply setting out general principles here and cannot vouch for

how judicious any applications of these principles might be on the ground.

Or on that later later and here goes.

If the elders of an otherwise faithful church require parishioners to wear a mask in order to

participate in worship and if they refuse to make any accommodations for those who do not wish to wear a mask,

e.g. sitting in the back of the balcony.

And if this is the only issue on the table, I do not believe members should leave a church

over this issue. I believe that to leave

over this issue only would be foolish and unwise. If someone has left a church

...