Southern Baptists Mark Orphans and Widows Sunday on November 8: Pastors Say Widow Care Balances Space and Connection
Sunday, November 8, is Orphans and Widows Sunday on the Southern Baptist Convention's annual emphasis calendar. Rooted in the teaching of James 1:27 about looking after orphans and widows, the day calls churches to remember two of the most vulnerable groups in their worship and fellowship. The SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) has prepared resources for churches observing the day.
In a November 5 report, Baptist Press spoke with two pastors about how churches should care for widows and widowers. Their shared conclusion: the key is finding the appropriate balance between space and connection. People in grief need room to breathe, and a church's visits and invitations can become pressure if they come too thick and fast; yet if the church steps back entirely, a widowed person can be left feeling forgotten once the crowds go home.
One of the pastors interviewed is Caleb Turner, senior pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Mesquite, in Dallas County, Texas. He and the other pastor describe practices such as sustained follow-up long after the funeral, deliberate contact around holidays and anniversaries, and helping widows find a renewed place — and role — within the congregation. Caring for widows, the article suggests, is one way believers 'participate in the work of Christ.'
Writing separately for Baptist Press ahead of the same emphasis day, Zack Pruitt, the ERLC's vice president of public policy and general counsel, urged churches to answer the call to love orphaned children by fostering, adopting and partnering with state Baptist children's homes, arguing that government must not stand in the way of the church fulfilling that responsibility.
The Southern Baptist Convention is one of the largest Protestant bodies in the United States. Each November, Orphans and Widows Sunday prompts congregations across the country to pair preaching and prayer with concrete acts of care for widows, orphans and the families who take them in.
(Source: Baptist Press)
Source: Baptist Press
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 教会敬拜场景（资料图）。图片来自 Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0。 / A church worship service (file photo). Image via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
