Commentary With restrictions on gatherings and other lockdown measures persisting for nearly a year across much of the country, many faith leaders are struggling to provide the connection and community that typically nourish their congregants through hard times. Church pastors trying to keep services operating even at 30 percent capacity have faced charges with a risk of draconian six-figure penalties. Some have been restricted to impersonal drive-in services or livestream broadcasts, and others for whom those alternatives are not practical have even had to close their churches. With no clear end in sight, some have gone underground. I am sensitive to the term “underground church” because in my country of birth, Iran, oppression and persecution are the norm. Many Christians have no choice but to worship in underground churches, since openly practising Christianity or any other minority religion leads to persecution by the state. This could take the form of …