A Louisiana pastor welcomed more than 300 people into his church on Tuesday night, despite an order from Gov. John Bel Edwards to limit gatherings to no more than 50.
Police broke up the service and told the pastor, Tony Spell, that the National Guard would break up any further transgressions against the ban. Spell responded that he thought the ban was “politically motivated” and that it was “not a concern” to his congregation.
“We hold our religious rights dear, and we are going to assemble no matter what someone says,” he said.
Spell said that his church, Life Tabernacle, has remained defiant of fears about the coronavirus and had more than 1,000 people attend Sunday service. Edwards issued the ban on Friday. President Trump recommended on Monday that gatherings should consist of no more than 10 people.
In his sermon at the Tuesday service, which was livestreamed on Facebook, Spell encouraged other church leaders to follow his lead and “not let the fear of persecution of any government official, any dictator law, prevent you from worshiping God, which our First Amendment states you are not allowed to do in any form.”
“Our church is a hospital where the sick can come and get healing,” he said. “Cancers are healed here, people are healed of HIV in these services, and we believe that tonight, we’re also going to pass out anointed handkerchiefs to people who may have a fear, who may have a sickness, and we believe that when those anointed handkerchiefs go, that healing virtue is going to go on them as well.”
Spell’s decision received support from members of his congregation.
“I’m not missing my church because of no coronavirus. I love the Lord, and he’s going to take care of us,” Lillian Alexander, a member of the church, told the local CBS affiliate.
Over the weekend, pastors in many parts of the country continued to hold Sunday services, with some telling their congregations not to worry about the coronavirus.
“If we die, we die for Christ. If we live, we live for Christ, so what do you lose?” said Guillermo Maldonado, pastor of the King Jesus International Ministry in Florida. Maldonado also chided members of his church for caving to the “demonic spirit” of fear for not showing up to church. Maldonado hosted Trump’s “Evangelicals for Trump” campaign launch event in January.
Other pastors expressed concern that church members are not taking the coronavirus seriously. On Sunday, Josh King, a Baptist pastor in Arkansas, said that a congregant was willing to “lick the floor” to prove that the virus was a hoax after the church considered canceling Sunday services.
“In your more politically conservative regions, closing is not interpreted as caring for you,” he said. “It’s interpreted as liberalism, or buying into the hype.”
All 50 states and the District of Columbia have confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with the death toll at 110 in the United States and expected to rise.
