So imagine my surprise when the following afternoon a friend and longtime church attendee called to let me know how disappointed he was that I was “on CNN.” When I asked why, he insisted it undermined my credibility. And he was particularly offended that I said, “The church is not an essential service.” Which I did say. But I said it within the context of a specific question asked by my host. I was referencing the necessity or essentialness of meeting indoors, shoulder to shoulder during a pandemic. I was not referencing the importance or essentialness of the church in general.
