COVID-19 and Rural Work Around the World

I had the opportunity to talk to missionaries serving around the world in rural areas concerning the impact COVID-19 is having on their lives and their ministries.

When COVID-19 struck in the U.S., the church sprang into action. Alternative plans were hastily developed and Zoom calls and conferences sprang up overnight. It is now possible to watch video conferences all day long on how to handle the COVID-19 crisis. Because of this worldwide event, the church in the U.S. has been dissected and examined in excruciating detail.

Likewise, churches in large, urban areas around the world have experienced a similar flood of resources to evaluate their situations and to make plans on how to move forward. However, our Christian brothers and sisters in rural and remote areas across the globe have not been afforded as much attention or help.

Last week, I had the opportunity to talk to missionaries (via a video conference call) serving around the world in rural areas concerning the impact COVID-19 is having on their lives and their ministries. While it was a great time of encouragement and a great source of firsthand information, it was also a time of somber reflection as many people around the world in rural areas are suffering because of this terrible disease.

The Negative Effects of COVID-19 Imposed Lockdowns

I listened to nearly 80 missionaries talk about rural work around the world. The recurring theme was that few people in rural areas are suffering from the disease itself. COVID-19 is still being seen in most rural areas around the world as an urban disease.

However, many rural peoples are suffering greatly because of government, and sometimes local community, imposed lockdowns.

As cities went into lockdown mode, jobs dried up around the world. The result was devastating as migrant peoples were forced to leave their city jobs and return to their homes in the countryside. With this kind of job ...