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FAITH BEHIND THE FRONTLINES – A FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
Surviving COVID-19 RESOURCE DIRECTORY
WERE YOU THERE? FAITH BEHIND THE FRONTLINES – A FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
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by Contributing Writer, Cheryl D Howard
FAITH–BASED TOWNHALL
Black Covid Culture : Let’s Talk About It!
TUNE IN VIA FACEBOOK LIVE: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SACCULTURALHUB1
Lady Charmaine Bassett, Moderator Host of the Lady Charmaine Live Show Reverend Dr. Alice BaberBanks Pastor of Christian Fellowship Ministry Church Dr. Tamara Bennett Sr. Pastor of This Is Pentecost International Fellowship Ministries (TIP) Pastor Penelope Larry Co-pastor of The Potter’s House Church Dr. Janine Bera Chief Medical Officer for WellSpace Health Dr. Olivia Kasirye County Health Officer Sacramento County Public Health
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7TH | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM PST
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In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.” (1 Timothy 3:11) Lady Charmaine Bassett, host of KDEE 97.5 FM “Lady Charmaine Live,” moderated a panel of Sacramento’s community Pastors and Doctors in a Faith-based Town Hall discussion on “Black COVID Culture: Let’s Talk About It!” The discussion set in motion how these prominent pastors and physicians in the community are dealing with COVID-19. The pastors made decisions to keep their congregations safe by either reopening their churches or holding worship services via social media.
Pastor Penelope Larry is the Co-Pastor of the Potter’s House Church. For Easter Sunday, she recommended that people stay home if they had not been vaccinated or been tested to ensure that everyone is safe. Service was streamed on Zoom and Facebook live. She had approximately 25 people in the building and they followed the CDC guidelines. Nevertheless, the pandemic created a significant change for the most sacred day of worship for Pastor Larry. “It was just different, it was different,” said Pastor Larry
Lady Charmaine asked the pastors how they educated their members when it came to COVID-19. Pastor Larry answered, “We are leading by example; we’re not asking anyone to do anything that we’re not doing.”
The Reverend Dr. Alice Baber-Banks, Pastor of Christian Fellowship Ministry Church, stated that for her to keep her congregation safe, she needed to opt to conduct services via a conference phone line. She said it was an excellent gateway. Pastor Baber-Banks stated that the church had more in attendance on the conference line than they have ever had in the building.
“I don’t plan to go back into the church house until it is approved by the Governor or whoever is responsible,” said Pastor Baber-Banks.
Pastor Dr. Tamera Bennett of This is Pentecost International Fellowship Ministries opened the floodgates for people out there suffering. The pandemic has caused Pastor Bennett to reflect on what her calling is in it all.
Surviving COVID-19 RESOURCE DIRECTORY
“I couldn’t comprehend how they could have guidelines to still shop in a store, but there were no guidelines for me as to how I could still have worship, so it was personal,” said Pastor Bennett. She has spoken about not being able to be at the bedside of the sick or dying loved ones; this is a heavy burden for Pastor Bennett to bear.
“But people that need Jesus, and the burden of people dying, and you couldn’t be there, was too heavy for me.”
This is a faith-based discussion, and the women of faith could all agree that faith has waned amid the people in their communities. However, with each decision made by these pastors, they have unlocked portals of hope to break every fetter that COVID-19 has wrought.
The two doctors have stood on the frontlines as directors and leaders in the community.
Dr. Olivia Kasirye, County of Sacramento Public Health Officer, has fought closely against the reign of the coronavirus in public health. People, for the most part, were unaware of the significance of public health. COVID-19 brought them to the forefront when it hit. Public health had something very different on its hands.
“We’ve always been dealing with outbreaks, but we have been able to manage them pretty easily,” said Dr. Kasirye. Public health, in the past, had successfully managed H1N1 and Ebola. At the onset of COVID-19, it was total chaos. Hundreds and thousands of people were being infected and/or dying, and there were not enough ventilators anywhere, or personal protective wear for essential workers. Since the vaccine, the number of people being infected has decreased.
“We want to do what we can to protect as many lives as we can,” Dr. Kasirye says as she promotes the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Janine Bera, Chief Medical Officer of WellSpace Health, has been an outspoken in the war against the coronavirus. Going into the pandemic, Dr. Bera considered the oppositions they were already facing in the underserved communities.
“We work with a population that already has a challenge getting access to care,” said Dr.Bera. Of the most critical services, behavioral health is paramount during this time. She has seen a dramatic increase in phone calls to the suicide hotline (available in 53 of 58 counties in California).
“It is a very stressful time; it is a scary time,” lamented Dr. Bera. What are our best defenses against COVID-19? The panel approached this question with perspectives coming from the pulpit and from the aspect of science. One conclusive answer came from one of our panelists. “Education is the key to all of this stuff,” said Dr. Baber-Banks.
The misconceptions and misinformation circulating throughout the Black community have clouded people’s understanding of the disease and the possibility of a vaccine. It is hopeful that with the wealth of information here, the observers and listeners will be able to make an informed decision. n
LADY CHARMAINE ASKED
THE PASTORS HOW THEY
EDUCATED THEIR MEMBERS You can revisit and view the video at:
ARE LEADING BY EXAMPLE; WE’RE NOT ASKING ANYONE TO This was a special virtual event presented
DO ANYTHING THAT WE’RE by the Sacramento Black Media Coalition. NOT DOING.” Supported in Partnership by Sacramento
County, Sacramento County COVID-19 Collab, and The Center at Sierra Health Foundation. For more info and resources, go to: www.saccovid19collab.org.
