New covid variant: A new coronavirus subvariant, XBB. Phoebe Suy Gibson is a writer based in Houston. At least 57 people have tested positive for COVID-19 some with the new Delta variant and 90 others have self-reported positive tests but have yet to be examined by health officials after an outbreak at a camp hosted by a Houston-area church. Copyright 2023 Click2Houston.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Pastor Bo and Pastor Mey planting a tree at what is believed to be Rosharon Bible Baptist Church. Even though we could not meet together, we met online, prayed together, and served together, said Chhoeur Khlot, a longtime church member of Metrey Pheap and nephew of Pastor Bo. We were so surprised and so disappointed by the announcement. If you need help with the Public File, call (713) 778-4745. A Chronicle investigation reveals the extent of the ballot paper shortage in Harris County's November election, including how the shortages could impact the future of Texas' election laws. No other campers were on site. What that looks like now, I dont know, Khuth said. His wife has asthma and so they were particularly cautious during the pandemic. Ty Bo served as a commander in the Cambodian national army, effectively placing a target on his back when the Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975. "We knew it was a fire and it was pretty major." *** The churchs COVID protocols, which included vows to follow the advice of the medical community and a reminder that churches are not like businesses.. Second Baptist Church - Houston, TX. November 24, 2015. HOUSTON, Texas A prominent Houston pastor is getting some backlash after comments he made during one of his sermons this weekend. RELATED: Violent weekend: 7 killed in 4 separate shootings in Houston area, You see any difference when you put left-wing progressives in office? Dr. Young said in the sermon. The Delta variant is roughly 60 percent more contagious than the original strain of COVID-19, according to Harvard University researcher Dr. David Edwards. For the latest news, sign up for our free newsletter. Texas crossed the 50-percent mark a few days prior, but the state has routinely ranked among the worst of all states for vaccines per capita. It was around that time Whitworth began to question whether he should stay at Second, where he said he often encountered anti-mask sentiment. Prior to that, it had limited gatherings to small- and then medium-sized groups, and required worshipers to register for services. Let the Houston Public Media newsroom help you start your day. Khuth has gone on to support or start childrens ministries at other churches, and she gives credit to Pastor Bo for allowing her to learn the ins and outs of ministry at his church. In 2015, the journey became too difficult to undertake, so he started sharing sermons for small groups in Cambodia over the phone instead. That was the straw that broke the camels back, he said. Roughly one month before Pastor Mey died, he began writing an account of his churchs history on sheets of wide-ruled notebook paper. Dr. Ed Young with Houston's Second Baptist Church called out Houston-area leaders over the bond issue in Harris County. The organization may not intervene in a political campaign. Our hearts are heavy as some of our families are dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 virus, and we ask for your prayers for each of them as they follow the prescribed protocol and recuperate at home, the church said in a formal statement, according to the Christian Post. Galveston health authorities learned of the first infection on June 27, three days after hundreds of campgoers took a nearly two-hour trip via bus to Camp Tejas in Giddings, about 55 miles east of Austin. From there, the pandemic continued to take its toll, peaking among Asian Americans in Houston in March 2021, according to local statistics. Dennis Whitworth did not take lightly his departure from the church he called home for two decades. The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a letter to its general and local leaders on Tuesday that gives a detailed phased-in approach to worship services. Here are what some places of worship are doing in response to the coronavirus. Hes proud of his role in helping keep people safe. But that figure has since dwindled; Houston wasnt even listed among the nations top 10 cities by Cambodian population in 2019. I help him; he helps me. Tags Chris Tomlinson DEI Diversity Equity and Inclusion economy houston chronicle SB 17 Texas economy Texas Legislature. Many other large congregations remained closed, including Joel Osteens massive Lakewood Church. In Cambodian circles, the neighborhood is known as srok sreh, meaning farm village or country. Most of the Cambodians who live there are vegetable farmers, growing crops like mustard greens and water spinach, or trakuon in Khmer. Pastor Bo, too, spoke of wanting his church to grow and continue on for the sake of the community. Locking its doors for the second time is an act of extreme caution, according to the church. We must strive to do no harm, the churchs website still reads. Young isnt the first clergy member to touch on politics at the pulpit, Carder said. The health district was notified of the first positive COVID-19 case tied to the camp on June 27, and since, 20 Galveston County youth and adults have tested positive. The latest data shows about 7,000 Cambodians lived in the Houston metro area in 2015. Inside Congregation Beth Israel of Houston, the temple and its seats remain empty more often than not. Johnson & Johnson announced last week that its one-shot jab is about 60 percent effective against the mutation. Get the inside scoop on jobs, salaries, top office locations, and CEO insights. Every Saturday at 8 p.m., he would preach over the phone for an 8 a.m. service at a church in Cambodiaand then another, then another. Of the 57 cases studied by Galveston authorities so far, six have been breakthrough cases - meaning the infected were fully vaccinated for at least two weeks by the time they contracted COVID. We are definitely not changing what weve been doing. Theyre also praying for the churchs senior pastor role to be filled. Texas crossed the 50-percent mark a few days prior, but the state has routinely ranked among the worst of all states for vaccines per capita. Though they led congregations on opposite sides of the Houston metro area, Ty Bo and The Mey would pray together over the phone for half an hour each Sunday morning as they prepared for the days service. But now, the max is about 50. Facts from the pulpit should still matter. HOUSTON In a series of tweets, Mayor Sylvester Turner defends the city from Second Baptist Churchs pastor Ed Youngs sermon. Second Baptist Church Pastor Ed Young had vigorously spoke out against the now repealed Houston Equal Rights Ordiance (HERO). Pastor Mey was there too, a black leather Bible tucked under his arm. More than 450 adults and youth in grades six-12 from the area attended the camp, officials said. A Houston TV station reported July 19 that 156 people tested positive for COVID after attending a camp with Clear Creek Community Church of League City, Texas. It was his one job before he went to heaven, Kim Bo said. Thats not a surprising trend, said Kira Ganga Kieffer, who researches vaccines and religious movements at Boston University. Camp Tejas director Paul Biles said Tuesday that the camp, which hosts numerous churches throughout the summer, is monitoring local cases, and has adhered to state guidelines when hosting churches this summer. Would we shut down again? Bo and Mey represent a generation of Cambodian American Christians whose testimonies date back to fleeing the Khmer Rouge. Metrey Pheap over the years has integrated more bilingual practices at the church. Seventeen months after the beginning of the pandemic, his congregation, The Luke Church in Humble, has yet to resume full services. But there are no guidelines on how to grieve the loss of pastors who were mentors and supporters for many members and even father figures for some. Another 25 percent or so said they were skeptical of vaccines. (UPDATED) Gafcon gathering in Rwanda pledges to create alternative authority structures, while Global South fellowship stays separate. The decision for Catoosa Baptist Tabernacle to shutter its doors again is a result of several families in the congregation testing positive for the virus, despite the churchs caution to space seating six feet apart and to have its doors open to prevent frequent touching of doorknobs. Go out and do something for God, Lor said. Ty and Kim Bo knew they couldnt stay in the country, so they joined a group of Cambodians fleeing to Thailand by night. Hed say, I want you all to keep worshiping God, praying, sharing the gospel. That much was clear in Texas last spring, in the wake of an executive order by Gov. Church officials said more than 125 kids and adults tested positive for COVID-19. "If I think men oughta go to men's rooms and women oughta go to women's restrooms and the showers facilities, I think we're being discriminated against when somebody can decide regardless of their chromosomes whether they're male or female," Young said during a Nov. 11 interview with KHOU. The church camp outbreak reinforced the need for precautions, he said. They were neighbors and fellow church members supporting one another as they navigated their new lives. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner respondedto this story we shared on our social media platforms and said, "Houston is not the most dangerous city in America. It is to speak truth to power.. Dr. Timothy Sloan said he felt slightly traumatized as he read reports of a COVID-19 outbreak at a Houston-area churchs camp in late June. Ty Bo, though not a believer at the time, began to pray, God in heaven, help me please. The Vineyard Church has decided to not have Sunday service and released an official statement, saying: In response to growing national and local concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 virus . He doesnt want us to stay still. The church believes hundreds more could have been exposed at the camp and when sick campers returned home. It was there that someone knocked on their door and invited them to church for the first time in their lives. The latest Houston news, weather and sports from KPRC 2. Then his church saw 13 coronavirus deaths. Our hearts break for those infected with the virus. Conservative Anglicans Reject Church of England and Archbishop of Canterbury, Died: Charles Stanley, In Touch Preacher Who Led with Stubborn Faith, My Church Band Raised a Hallelujah on Netflixs Beef, Complete access to articles on ChristianityToday.com, Over 120 years of magazine archives plus full access to all of CTs online archives. The health district said its working closely with the churchs leadership to investigate the outbreak, trace potential contacts and offer guidance and resources. We have a leadership team meeting early next week for our monthly meeting where we will talk about that in detail. How has SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH responded to COVID-19? All but 10 of the cases studied by Galveston officials involved those who are older than 12 and thus eligible for inoculations. Second Baptist declined comment, but a spokesperson provided the Chronicle with various COVID protocols from May and June of 2020 that call for social distancing and limited worship services, but no mask mandates. Gov. Homer Edwin Young (born August 11, 1936), often called simply Ed Young, is senior pastor of the megachurch Second Baptist Church of Houston, Texas. Officials said the youth group did not leave the campground during their stay, but they did have contact with counselors from their church. It kind of triggered the trauma and caused us to be mindful, Sloan said of the Clear Creek outbreak. The best conclusion I think is the generalities were permissible even though it might be examined, my impression is he was very safe in what he said.. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner responded to this story we shared on our social media. HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- With the fast spread of the coronavirus, many places of worship are changing their plans around the Houston area. An argument could be made on the other side that he reaches a large audience. The church announced over the weekend that it has suspended in-person services until July 11. USA - Tallowood Baptist Church, in the Memorial City neighbourhood of West Houston, replaced an aging mixing console at front-of-house with a Solid State Logic Live L350 in recent months. I think it makes sense because were all familiar with the community, the members, and the people, he said. He said he realized by late last week that we had a big problem, and health officials began working with the church soon after. And polling by the Pew Research Center found Republican-leaning Christians were far more comfortable than Democrats with resuming normal church life sooner rather than later.. The 2020 presidential election had already exposed serious fissures in many parts of American Christianity, fractures that were further deepened as COVID-19 ravaged communities and shuttered many congregations, thousands of them permanently. And it is spreading incredibly fast.. Houstons Cambodian Baptist community, a tight-knit group of faithful refugees, is mourning the loss of two of its founding fathers to COVID-19. Ive just had to kind of start over, he said. This is how a growing number of houses of worship in the Houston area are handling the virus and services. Houston Public Media Staff. Here's how side effects compare to the original shots. Houston Northwests protocols, Medley said, were just a little bit ahead of the couples comfort level. Pushback against COVID has been particularly fierce, she said, because of the proliferation of conspiracy theories, online disinformation and "culture war" rhetoric, particularly in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election. The sweeping measure would have offered 15 groupsincluding gay, lesbian and transgendered peopleprotection from discrimination some say they've already faced. Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Contributor, Sunday vigil, expanded manhunt and more on Cleveland shooting, Shooting survivors: San Jacinto family only sought small favor, Abbott calls Texas shooting victims illegal immigrants', FBI briefly releases photo of wrong Francisco Oropeza, Houston nurses sentenced to federal prison over Medicare scheme, 5 found shot 'execution style' in home in San Jacinto County, Texas shooting: Suspected shooter possibly spotted, sheriff says, Some Galveston County residents 'fed up' with property appraisals, MLB Network's Mark DeRosa hilariously apologizes to Astros, Delta variant confirmed at Houston-area church camp's COVID outbreak that infected more than 125. That was his vision., After his death, Texas Baptist leaders remembered Mey as small in stature, quiet in manner, but a giant in the faith and said, Whenever The Mey shared his testimony, he made it clear that every bit of his salvation was accomplished by God.. Brian Kemp allowed fitness centers, bowling alleys and salons to reopen, the Christian Post reported. The order sparked outcry from conservatives, as well as a lawsuit filed by groups that had also challenged the constitutionality of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgos stay-at-home orders and business closures. As a whole, Asian American communities have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, but details about specific impacts have been scant, a 2020 report by McKinsey and Company confirmed. Keiser said the outbreak should serve as a reminder that safety protocols need to be ramped up in indoor settings or in large groups of people. Church officials will adhere to local government regulations in their phased-in approach to resuming normal activities. He didnt know God, Kim Bo said. They powerfully attest to a God who miraculously intervened, who saved them from the deadly regime that took over their home country in the late 1970s. He is clearly coming very close. She said other outbreaks she has studied have lowered her confidence that those who remain unvaccinated and may have been exposed will abide by voluntary quarantines, social distancing and mask-wearing. Disagreements over COVID, politics prompt some Christians to plot next moves. However, Carder said anyone in Youngs congregation, or the public could file a complaint with the IRS. 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It seems likely that the lead pastor will be chosen from among the three men currently at the helm, but Chea said he thinks a vote within the next year would not give the pastor-elect enough time to prepare. A pastor in the Bronx thought he knew hardship. As of Tuesday, Harris and Galveston counties had both fully vaccinated about 52 percent of all eligible residents, according to the state Department of Health Services. His disillusionment predated the pandemic. If youre old enough to get vaccinated and havent, now is the time. He is a 2014 graduate of Eastern Illinois University. In the years before COVID-19 shuttered churches across the nation, the 64-year-old often disagreed with some of the politics he encountered at Second Baptist Church of Houston, one of the nations largest congregations. The way [Pastor Bo] related to me is very, very close like I gave my right hand to him, said Vuthy Chea, a deacon at Metrey Pheap who immigrated to the US in 1984 after accepting Christ at Khao I Dang. About 36 percent of Catholics said the same, a 14 percentage point increase since January. Greg Abbott that closed most businesses and houses of worship. Can Floridas gay teachers show photos? Keiser said its unclear how many campers were fully vaccinated. From what to wear to who to bring, learn more about what to expect when you visit. "'Vote these bums out' and talking about 'the left-wing progressive,' thats already crossing the line because the opposite of that is voting for Republicans," Evbagharu said. Harris County's new COVID threat levels will focus on new cases, not hospitalizations, As Texas kids return to school, routine vaccination rates still haven't recovered from the pandemic. - New COVID boosters for omicron, BA.5 are out. The series won or placed in numerous awards contests, prompted new disclosure laws and continues to dominate the agenda of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's second-largest faith group. Service team in Houston, TX. Ladies and gentlemen if Houston and Harris County is to survive, we better throw those bums out of office. That resistance has usually been rooted in moral concerns, she said, noting the HPV vaccine that some Christians thought would make teens more likely to have sex. A surprising psalm changed my view on Gods presence during seasons of trial. 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