The Georgia General Assembly suspended the 2020 session on March 13. Cory and I were working on several pieces of legislation, but most of the work of the legislature has ground to a halt, with no date for when they might re-convene. Click here for the last legislative update.

Gov. Kemp announced today (April 8) his intention to extend the Public Health State of Emergency here in Georgia until May 13. This is different from the Shelter-in-Place Order. That Order has been extended to April 30, and it includes all the directives in the previous Shelter-in-Place order. Click here for details, and other COVID-19 information, from GPB.

I had the privilege to be on a conference call today (April 8) with President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, along with thousands of faith leaders from across the country. Both men expressed gratitude to churches who were doing their best to comply with the president’s coronavirus guidelines with efforts like livestreaming services. President Trump mentioned that he participated in three of these services recently. They said they were inspired by the efforts of churches to assist their communities. They both expressed appreciation for prayers for each of them and their staff, and for the healthcare workers who are battling this pandemic.

The Citizen Impact team has helped pastors and other ministry leaders navigate the current virus pandemic. We have participated in conference calls with the White House and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and communicated that information to pastors. We hosted conference calls for pastors in our network with the governor’s office. We provided information on religious liberty questions pastors are asking, gave details on the new laws that President Trump recently signed and how churches might benefit from them, and offered information on how churches can set up online giving, and even a little help with how to livestream church services. The faithful financial support of churches and individuals allow us to do this important work, and it has been a blessing to help so many.

• COVID-19 information from CDC, FEMA, and the White House: https://www.coronavirus.gov/
• GA Department of Public Health COVID-19 information for Georgia: https://dph.georgia.gov/novelcoronavirus
• Information for ministries on Paycheck Protection Program: https://churchleaders.com/news/373920-paycheck-protection-program-pastors.html