Life.Church chief pastor Craig Groschel and pastor and prominent leader Bobby Gruenwald, were quarantined by health officials after being exposed to the coronavirus at a conference in Germany.
With 90,000 attendees on 34 campuses spread across 10 states, Grochel delivered the news to the church via video last Wednesday afternoon under the title "Something Different This Month."
According to Groschel, he and Gruenewald, founder of the YouVersion Bible app were already on a plane heading home after learning that someone tested positive for COVID-19 caused by coronavirus at the three-day Willow Creek summit in Germany with Grunebalt.
In the video, he informed people that he and Gruenewald would not go to church to maintain the safety of the church and prevent the spread of the disease. He added that they were both in good condition.
Willow Creek Deutschland Leitungskongress 2020 was held in Kalsruhe, southwest Germany, on Feb. 27-29. The summit ended early as a precautionary measure, since the organizers were aware of the diagnosis.
According to the World Health Organization, 87,137 cases were reported worldwide as of Thursday. The U.S. confirmed its 11th death on Wednesday, along with some 150 confirmed cases.
More cases of COVID-19 are likely to be confirmed in the coming days, including those in the U.S., the CDC said on its website. There is also a possibility that a person-to-person spread will continue to occur, including in communities in the United States.
