Lutherans Grapple with Response to Deadly Flu Virus

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Rebecca Bourret was vacationing
at a resort in Cancun, Mexico, when the deadly swine flu broke
out some 800 miles away in Mexico City. She's back in Massachusetts
now preparing for Sunday worship.
"We weren't near Mexico City at the time we were there, so
I wasn't concerned," said Bourret, Christ Lutheran Church, Natick.
"Many people die of more common illnesses, even just the common
flu."
Across the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA),
members are weighing how best to respond to the deadly flu.
"You don't want to overreact and incite panic," said the
Rev. Robert G. Moore, pastor, Christ the King Lutheran Church,
Houston. "On the other hand, you need to be proactive to protect
people."
But where to draw the line isn't clear.
The World Health Organization raised the pandemic alert to
its second-highest level on April 29. In the United States, some
states, such as Texas, issued disaster declarations.
Still, health officials aren't certain of how dangerous the
flu will become.
Moore's congregation quickly called off a youth trip to
Mexico City after the outbreak. Calling off Sunday worship,
however, wasn't on the radar. At midweek he was doubtful of
foregoing the "passing of the peace" -- usually done with a
handshake.
If needed, "the peace can also be shared with a smile," said
Linda Schoene, Christ the King's congregational nurse.
Congregations should remind people of good health practices,
such as frequent hand washing and covering the mouth when coughing,
Schoene said. The bigger challenge is getting people to stay home
when they're sick.
"You don't want parents putting kids with colds in the nursery
either," she said.
The ELCA Rocky Mountain Synod planned to kick off its regional
assembly April 30 in El Paso, Texas. One local pastor, the Rev. L.
Wayne Kendrick, said he was asked whether surgical masks would be
provided to the 400 participants expected.
"No, we're not," said Kendrick, who leads Peace Lutheran
Church. "There's no swine flu, either here or across the border
in Juarez."
The synod has reserved eight vans to take some registrants to
Juarez on May 1 to view ministry sites. Some people have backed
out of the trip because they don't want to cross the border into
Mexico, the synod said.
"Most people aren't aware that every day 25,000 residents of
El Paso cross the border to work in Juarez," said Madelyn Busse,
diaconal minister and assistant to the bishop. As of 3 p.m. April
30, the trip was still on.
In Minnesota, students from Concordia College, Moorhead,
learned that the Mexico Summer Study Abroad program was canceled
after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked that
"nonessential" travel to Mexico be avoided.
"We wanted to honor that," said Dr. Per Anderson of
Concordia's Global Education Division.
In Seguin, Texas, students hoping that Texas Lutheran
University might ease their workload were disappointed. The school
issued a statement assuring them that final exams were still on.
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The ELCA statement, "Worship in Times of Public Health
Concerns" is at http://www.ELCA.org/worship on the Web. Guidance
on pandemic flu preparation is at http://tinyurl.com/dcgwq4 on
the ELCA Web site.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog