MANSFIELD — Earlier this month, media reported Ohio’s COVID-19 cases had declined and that “it was impossible to say for sure what was contributing to the plateau.” Despite six weeks of reopening the state’s economy, media noted other states were seeing a surge in COVID-19, while Ohio was not. Several area clergy believe this decline in COVID-19 cases was not by random chance.
Reverend Paul Lintern serves as Pastor of both Oakland Luthern Church and Southside Christian Church. The pastor also helped coordinate a clergy press conference that drew national attention and a prayer initiative that coincided with a call to prayer.
(Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
“On March 25th, we had clergymen representing one hundred and twenty congregations in North Central Ohio that held a press conference standing in solidarity during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our group proclaimed our trust in Psalm 91 and that ‘only the Most High GOD would be our refuge and fortress delivering us from the perilous pestilence.”
And deliver from the perilous pestilence the LORD has.
The number of weekly COVID-19 cases for the week ending June 8th was the lowest since the second week of April. The number of currently hospitalized patients went from an estimated 1,067 to 513. And the percent of tests returning positive results each day has dropped from 10.7% to 3.2%.
Interestingly, during the zenith of the clergy’s season of prayer and fasting between April 5th- April 16th, state health officials dramatically changed their projections from a peak of ten thousand new cases in Ohio per day to a significantly lower one thousand-six hundred cases. Projected deaths also were dramatically decreased to less than half of originally forecasted.
According to Pastor Lintern, local intercessors continued to meet thru the pandemic for sixty-seven days.
“While other communities may not discuss what happens after their prayers, I believe our faith community is the exception,” says Pastor Jody Odom of Ambassadors for Christ. “We pray and watch what GOD does, and then we thank Him. We believe GOD is still not done yet in Ohio.
Reverend Odom continued, “Our acknowledgement of GOD perpetuates our relationship with Him. Psalm 136 recites key moments in Israel’s history and ends each miraculous event with the refrain: “His love endures forever.” I believe the refrain reminds GOD’s people that their experiences are not just random historical events and that each moment is orchestrated by GOD.”
“Our acknowledgement of GOD perpetuates our relationship with Him. Psalm 136 recites key moments in Israel’s history and ends each miraculous event with the refrain: ‘His love endures forever.’ I believe the refrain reminds GOD’s people that their experiences are not just random historical events and that each moment is orchestrated by GOD.”
Pastor Jody Odom
AMbassadors for Christ
Last year during a National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving held by area clergy, both the Mansfield Mayor and Richland County Board of Commissioners publicly acknowledged Divine intervention curtailing the cholera pandemic in August of 1849 after national corporate prayer and fasting. Little did anyone know that the moment would become a precursor for things to come.
Pastor Odom comments, “We always want to thank Almighty GOD for every good and perfect thing in our community because it ultimately comes from GOD. Just like Moses, we need to lift our arms up so that God’s people can prevail over the enemy (COVID-19).”
View the clergy press conference below calling for prayer and fasting during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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“So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped” Numbers 16:47-48
