Steve Case, Benji Ferguson
T he Carmichael SDA Church, located in the suburbs of Sacramento, California,
seemed to be a gem in the Northern California Conference, with the largest
membership, highest tithe, and largest pastoral staff. The pandemic put a halt
to most of this church’s ministry, exposing some weaknesses and preventing the
ministry it had developed over the years. Simultaneously, new forms of ministry
sprung forth because of the sudden changes. The long-term impact of the pandemic
challenges this church to move forward in new ways rather than attempting a
restart as though nothing happened. This is a case study of how one congregation
responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.