A Niverville pastor says he is open to speaking with members of his congregation about the COVID-19 vaccines—but he also doesn’t necessarily think his role is to change people’s minds. And many many people’s minds simply won’t be changed.

David Funk is the lead pastor at Niverville Community Fellowship, a congregation that he says has a wide array of demographics ranging from young families to seniors in their eighties and nineties.

Since it was first announced that approved COVID-19 vaccines would be available in Manitoba, Funk says that he has seen some in his congregation eager to get vaccinated, while others are hesitant to get the shot.

“We are seeing that hesitancy,” Funk says. “There has definitely been some hesitancy, there is nervousness, and sometimes there is outright opposition.”

Funk did not want to comment on specific reasons he has heard from some in his congregation about why they are hesitant, as many of those reasons have been shared with him in private conversations.

However, he did say that a lot of hesitancy comes from a belief system rather than because of health concerns over possible side effects from the vaccines.

“I would say a common denominator has been some kind of scepticism or distrust of who the information about the vaccines is coming from,” Funk says.

And with vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories running rampant online, Funk says he can try to get the correct information out to his congregation about what is true and what isn’t, while also realizing that some will never be convinced.

“My role as a pastor is not to address people on the level of if you are right or wrong necessarily, it’s just not what I am there for, and it’s rarely effective,” Funk says. “If there is hesitancy and it is really strong, I can talk until I’m blue in the face and I am not going to change their minds. My strategy if someone is concerned is to encounter them as a human being, and give them a safe, compassionate ear, and let them know I want to understand where they are coming from, and understand they are loved and appreciated no matter what decision they make.”

Funk was asked if he believes he has a responsibility to try and counter information that he knows is false when it comes up from members of his congregation.

“I wish it was that simple, but I’m afraid it’s not,” Funk says. “In many cases, they have already got their sources of information that they consider authoritative, and I’m not going to change their minds.”

Funk added that he personally believes in the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines, and he hopes that through personally being vaccinated he can be an example to others who are opposed or on the fence.

“They know I have been vaccinated, so that tells them a lot,” Funk says. “We, as leaders, can set a positive example by getting the vaccine ourselves.”

While Funk has seen vaccine hesitancy among some in his congregation, the manager of a Niverville-based not-for-profit says he is seeing that same concern and hesitancy from many of those whom he works with and deals with on a regular basis.

“I know there is still quite a bit of hesitancy about the vaccine from our volunteers and from some of our patrons,” said Gerald Loeppky, general manager of the Niverville MCC Thrift Shop, in early May. “I was fortunate to get my first vaccine, as did my wife, but we have volunteers here that have a different belief system than I do, and I find it somewhat unfortunate.”

Loeppky has said that he hopes to see the province do a better job of communicating what can and cannot go back to normal as more Manitobans get vaccinated, as a way to incentivize getting the vaccines.

“I really appreciate what the Saskatchewan government did recently when they put out a strategy and a road map for reopening, and basically said, ‘The road to reopening runs through the vaccine clinic,’ and I thought that made so much sense,” Loeppky said. “It lets the people know where things will go as more and more get vaccinated and it really gives the power back to the people so they can decide.”

The Citizen reached out to the mayors of both the Town of Niverville and the RM of Ritchot to ask if their councils are doing anything to communicate to residents the importance of getting the vaccine, and both mayors said they believe that communication needs to come from the province and not from municipal councils.

Both mayors declined to be interviewed.

“This is provincial jurisdiction, as they jurisdiction on healthcare,” wrote Niverville mayor Myron Dyck in an email. “I believe people are more than aware of the vaccine, as the province is sending out much communication, and are making their personal decisions accordingly.”

Ritchot Mayor Chris Ewen also released a written statement emphasizing that those looking for information on the vaccine should seek that info from the province, and that Ritchot’s council has not had any conversations regarding sharing accurate vaccine information.

“Council has not discussed this,” Ewen wrote. “We continue to host emergency meetings with our emergency coordinator to ensure all public health orders are shared and implemented in Ritchot to the best of our ability. Any information we receive from the province is passed through our Connect software or available online.”