Visiting the sick hasn't been easy for pastors—a Singapore Assembly of God minister recently died of SARS contracted during a visitation—but it just grew harder with the strict privacy guidelines in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Under the 1996 law, effective in April, medical workers are prohibited from contacting churches about hospitalized members, and patients must now give permission for clergy visitors. Fortunately, while most visitors must be approved by name, patients can approve all pastors of a given church or denomination. And while some pastors have feared that HIPAA bans church bulletin "prayer lists," Church Law & Tax Report editor Richard Hammar says it's not true—but adds that churches should always obtain permission before passing on medical information.
While we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
A Christian reconciliation group in Israel and Palestine warned that war would come. Now the war threatens their relevance.العربيةFrançais
We must always be people of the Word, but we’ll have to reimagine deep engagement with Scripture.
