Kyodan missionaries around the world have reported the following effects of and response to Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic as of March 19, 2020.
North America: The United States
As of March 16, Kyodan missionaries sent to New York and to the San Francisco and Silicon Valley areas in California are facing shelter-in-place orders.
Japanese Churches in California
From March 8, worship services have been suspended for at least a month. Messages are being disseminated via YouTube and other online services.
Japanese Churches in New York
An emergency situation was declared on March 13. People are living with a sense of eminent danger, their minds filled with fear, anxiety, and doubt. It is especially in times like this that we would want to gather at church on the Lord’s Day, but for the time being we can only resort to praying quietly by ourselves.
South America:*Paraguay
The government directed the suspension of all large meetings, but as there are no cases in the town of Pirapo and we only have about five attendees, we intended to hold the March 15 worship service, simply maintaining hygienic conditions. However, no one at all came. Then the president issued new orders, first on March 15 to close the borders for two weeks, and then on March 16 to establish a nighttime curfew. Thus our normally quiet town became even quieter. We have thus canceled the service for March 22, telling our folks simply to spend time in prayer in their own homes.
:*Brazil
As of March 16, there was still no one testing positive in the city of Salvador so our small church service of ten or fewer is continuing to meet every week. However, we are avoiding the traditional greeting-style of embracing (abrazo) and handshaking. Another church that was to hold a celebratory service on March 22, the anniversary of its founding, had to postpone that event as well as the ordination and installment of the pastor.
Europe:*Belgium
Late on the night of Thursday, March 12, the Belgian government made an emergency announcement designed to stop the spread of the virus. Irrespective of private or public, small or large, all meetings were to be canceled from the evening of March 13 until April 3. Thus, the Japanese Christian Church of Brussels had no choice but to cancel all of its worship services and meetings for that time period.
:*Germany
As of March 16, about 270 people have been infected in Berlin. Schools and kindergartens, etc. are to be closed for some five weeks following their last day on Monday, March 16 until the end of what would have been the Easter break. Sports facilities, clubs, libraries, and other indoor facilities have already been closed and all gatherings of more than 50 people banned. Among the state and free churches, some had already canceled their worship services and meetings from the previous week for at least a month.
Asia:*Korea
Travel between Korea and Japan (including the cancellation of visas) has been shut down, so entry into Japan will have to be postponed for a while. Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary postponed its scheduled graduation and degree awards ceremonies from February until August. Likewise, entrance and new school year ceremonies were canceled, delaying the beginning of lectures for two weeks. Presently, all instruction is online only.
:*Taiwan
When the SARS epidemic occurred in 2003, Taiwan, which could not become a member state of the WHO because of relations with China, was isolated and unable to receive aid from other nations, resulting in a severe aftermath. Thus, the lesson learned was the need for self-protection. So when this new form of viral pneumonia began in China in January, Taiwan closed all travel to the affected areas and began a campaign of alcohol disinfecting, wearing facemasks, tracking body temperatures, etc. The Chinese New Years’ vacation time for schools was extended into February, and almost all churches suspended all meetings other than worship services from the beginning of February. There are Christian broadcasting channels that feature worship services, theological courses, praise, and overseas Christian programs, and since there are lots of choices for Internet worship, the attendance at churches in general is down to half or a third of what it was before.
From the beginning of March, the International Japanese Church in Taipei decided to hold its weekly services online only, and since even elderly people are accustomed to using LINE and YouTube, for the most part, care of the church community is being done through a Social Networking Service (SNS) and by phone. On March 18, the Taiwanese government announced that essentially all travel into Taiwan from around the world would be suspended from March 19; those who had entered the country prior to the shutdown would, with a few exceptions, be required to quarantine for 14 days, with fines for up to 3.5 million yen for offenders. We have much to learn from these radical, yet courageous actions by the government, which were done in love, and also from the good cooperation of everyone involved. We are also now having to consider how we as a church are going to support our people who are losing their jobs and facing financial problems. (Tr. TB)
—Prepared by Takada Teruki, a staff of the Commission on Ecumenical Ministries and Kawakami Yoshiko, an editor of the KNL Editorial Committee, from the report filed by Rev. Nishinosono Michiko, chair of the Commission on Ecumenical Ministries.
2020年3月19日現在
日本基督教団宣教師による報告
各国のコロナウィルス蔓延の影響と対応
＜北米＞
■ アメリカ
※ 3月16日現在、教団宣教師たちが派遣されているサンフランシスコやシリコンバレーエリア、ニューヨーク等に外出禁止令が出されている
・カリフォルニア州の日本語教会
3月8日より1ヶ月程度教会での礼拝を休止。Youtube 等を用いてメッセージを配信している。
・ニューヨーク州の日本語教会
アメリカでは3月13日に非常事態宣言が発令。身近に危険が迫っていることを感じ、恐れや不安や疑いが人びとの心を捉えている。このようなときだからこそ、主の日に教会に集まって礼拝を守りたかったが、しばらくの間、各自で静かに祈りのときを過ごすことになった。
＜南米＞
■ パラグアイ
国から大規模集会の中止の指示が出たが、町での感染者はなく、5人の礼拝なので、3月15日は気をつけつつ礼拝を守るつもりでいたが、誰も礼拝に来なかった。15，16日に大統領から2週間の国境封鎖・夜間外出禁止などの指示が相次いで出され、もともとひっそりとしているピラポはますますひっそりとしている。22日の礼拝は中止予定で、自宅で各自祈るよう伝えている。
■ ブラジル
3月16日現在、サルバドールではまだ感染者がなく、普段10名に満たない小さな礼拝のため、毎週礼拝を行っている。ただし、抱き合う形(アブラッソ）の挨拶や握手は止めた。3月17日にサルバドール市内のイベントは軒並み中止または延期となった。別の教会で3月22日に行われるはずだった教会創立記念感謝礼拝と、その時に施行される予定だった牧師按手礼式及び就任式が延期になった。
＜ヨーロッパ＞
■ ベルギー
3/12(木)の深夜にベルギー政府がコロナウイス拡散防止策を緊急発表した。公私や規模の大小を問わずあらゆる集会を3/13(金)の夜〜4月3日(金)にかけて禁止するとの内容があり、ブリュッセル日本語キリスト教会の礼拝や集会も取りやめざるを得なくなった。
3月15日〜4月3日まで、礼拝や集会はお休みする。
■ ドイツ
3月16日現在ベルリンでは270人ほどがすでに感染している。16日（月）を最後に翌日からイースター休み明けまで5週間も学校や幼稚園などが休校。すでにスポーツ関連施設やクラブ、図書館、屋内施設など閉鎖され、50人以上の集会などは公私問わず禁止。ドイツの一般の教会や自由教会などはすでに先週末から礼拝や集会すべてを1か月先ほどまで見合わせているところも出てきた。
＜アジア＞
■ 韓国
日韓間の往復も（ビザ停止処置も含めて）ままならず、日本への入国はしばらく見合わせなければならない。長老会神学大学(Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary)は、二月中旬に予定されていた卒業式・学位授与式は8月に延期、入学式・始業式も中止、講義は二週間延期の上、現在はオンラインでの授業。
■ 台湾
2003年SARSが流行した際に、中国との関係でWHOに加盟できない台湾が世界的な援助を受けられず孤立、大きな被害が続いたことから、自分達で自分達を守ることが徹底的に身についておられる。
1月に中国で新型肺炎が発生後ただちに、特定地域との往来を禁じ、アルコール消毒、マスク着用、体温測定などが実施された。学校も1月の旧正月休みを延長し、2月まで休校。
ほとんどの教会で2月初めから礼拝以外の各集会は休会となったが、キリスト教番組（礼拝、神学講座、讃美、海外クリスチャン番組、等）のテレビ局があり、ネット礼拝も多いので、どの教会も礼拝出席が半分から3分の1になった。
3月に入るや否や、国際日語教会International Japanese Church in Taipeiでは 元々毎週行っていた礼拝のネット配信のみに決定した。高齢者も日常的にLINEやYouTubeを利用する方が多く、SNSや電話を利用して、互いに教会内外の方々のケアを行っている。また3月18日台湾政府から発表があり、19日より世界中からの入国が原則として禁止措置となり、それ以前の外国からの来台者は例外的なケースとして１４日の隔離措置が義務づけられ、違反すると最高額350万円ほどの罰金となる。愛をもっての勇気ある政府の決定に、大胆な政策であろうと、皆が尊重して協力しあう姿勢など、多くのことを学んでいる。私たちの教会でも、仕事がなくなり、経済的に困っている方々を、今後どのように教会でサポートしていけるか検討している。
世界宣教委員長・西之園路子牧師作成のレポートより（高田輝樹）＆（KNL 川上善子）
