Online Summit to Help Churches Face COVID-19 Outbreak Starts Thursday

WHEATON, Ill., March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Humanitarian Disaster Institute (HDI) at Wheaton College and the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) want churches to know they're not alone. Together, they will present the COVID-19 Church Online Summit, a two-day digital summit to help churches respond creatively, practically and faithfully to the coronavirus outbreak. The Summit starts Thursday March 26; registration is free at https://www.covid19churchsummit.com.

Speakers will be addressing hot topics in the church including communication, marginalized groups, caring for the elderly, sharing accurate information about coronavirus, emotional health for church leaders and more. Some of the confirmed speakers include:

• VADM Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H., Surgeon General of the United States
• Bestselling author Philip Yancey
• Vocalists Jason Roy from Building 429, Russ Lee from Newsong and Michael Tait from Newsboys
• Dr. Ed Stetzer, executive director of the Billy Graham Center
• Rev. Eugene Cho, author and president-elect of Bread for the World
• Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil, associate professor of Reconciliation Studies at Seattle Pacific University
• Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition
• David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group
• Dr. Nicolette Louissaint, executive director of Healthcare Ready
• Daniel Darling, vice president of communication for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
• W. David O. Taylor, assistant professor of theology & culture at Fuller Seminary

To view all of the speakers, visit https://www.covid19churchsummit.com/speakers

"As an academic disaster research center, HDI has spent the past nine years studying how churches can better love and serve their congregations and communities in response to disaster and crisis," said Jamie Aten, Ph.D., founder and executive director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute. "We exist to serve the church in a moment like this, and are committed to providing evidence-informed resources to help churches love and serve while using best practices."

By registering, summit-goers will receive access to a password-protected website with videos that can be viewed at their convenience and will be live through Easter.

View all of HDI's coronavirus resources at wheaton.edu/hdi-covid19 and follow the hashtag #COVID19church.

Learn more about Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College & National Association of Evangelicals

SOURCE The Humanitarian Disaster Institute