Atlanta Megachurch Suspends In-Person Worship for Remainder of Year

An Atlanta-area megachurch announced this week it will suspend all in-person worship services for the remainder of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

North Point Community Church, which meets in multiple locations throughout metro Atlanta and was named the second-largest church in the U.S. in 2017 with a weekly attendance of more than 30,000, is led by pastor and bestselling author Andy Stanley. “‘Carry one another’s burdens. In this way you fulfill the law of Christ.’ Galatians 6:2” greets those who visit the church’s website.

The church had previous planned to resume service in August. However, Stanley shared in a video posted on WSB-TV2 in Atlanta, “As you would imagine, that was not a casual decision. Back in May when we announced a possible August 9 reopening, the COVID numbers were moving in the right direction. That has changed. Consequently, we cannot guarantee your safety, and that’s a big part of this decision.”

In weekend services, Andy shared an interview with Stuart Hall, a survivor of the coronavirus, and his wife, Kellee. When he posted the video of the interview on Twitter, he wrote, “When global becomes personal.”

When global becomes personal. https://t.co/mfpqAJuG4e

— Andy Stanley (@AndyStanley) July 13, 2020

In his announcement, Stanley added that he realized some would view this as a lack of faith on his part. “I actually have a lot of faith,” he said. “In fact, I have so much faith that I’m absolutely confident that the church and our church will not only survive this, but I think ultimately, we’re going to thrive as a result. … 2,000 years of church history attest to the fact that Jesus is actually building His church, and we are simply invited to participate in the process.” {eoa}