Kentucky church leader vows to hold Easter services even after getting Beshear stop order
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Bullitt County church has been ordered by public health officials and the state to cease in-person services “immediately.”
Despite Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s persistent pleas for places of worship to hold virtual services, Maryville Baptist Church has continued to hold in-person services, including on this past Sunday.
The Rev. Jack Roberts, the pastor of Maryville Baptist Church, told The Courier Journal on Wednesday that he received the order on Tuesday. He said he plans to continue holding in-person services, including one on Wednesday evening and on Easter Sunday.
“If you read the Constitution of the United States, if you read the constitution of the state of the Kentucky, they both say that (Beshear) is infringing on the church’s rights,” Roberts said.
He added he would not pay any fine potentially imposed on him for continuing to hold services “until it goes through the court and proves that I’m guilty.”
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Beshear’s spokespeople did not immediately reply to a request for comment. On March 19, the governor signed an executive order temporarily banning most “mass gatherings,” including ones held by faith-based organizations.
During a Tuesday press briefing, Beshear said his administration is “going to make sure that we don’t have 200 people coming to one place inside of one building where we know people are going to die as a result.”
“And you know what? My faith is one of the things that compels me to do that,” Beshear said. “My faith teaches me that we protect one another, and when others aren’t willing to do the right thing we step in to protect those that might otherwise be vulnerable. To 99.99% of all of our faith leaders out there, thank you.”
In Louisville: Fischer explains why he doesn’t want to see drive-in religious services
Maryville Baptist is not alone in refusing to close its doors. The pastor of Centennial Olivet Baptist Church in Louisville said “we have prayerfully decided not to close the church.”
The Rev. Dr. Wilbur S. Browning, who leads Centennial Olivet Baptist at 1541 W. Oak St., wrote in a message posted to the congregation’s website and Facebook page on March 22 that “we are taking necessary precautions to maintain the safety of our members and the community.”
“We encourage you to do the things that promote health for you and your family,” Browning said. “This is not a negative reflection on what others of our sister churches have decided, and we pray for their health and well-being in Christ.
“This is also, however, not a time to shrink back, but to move forward, prayerfully and faithfully in the Lord Jesus Christ, who reminded us that tribulations and suffering would surely come. He promised to be with us always, even to the end.”
As an alternative to meeting in person, some churches have held drive-in services in parking lots. However, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said during a Tuesday press briefing that drive-in services will not be permitted in the city.
“It’s not really practical or safe to accommodate drive-up services taking place in our community,” Fischer said.
Some pastors did not take kindly to this announcement. Chuck Salvo, the pastor of On Fire Christian Church off New Cut Road in Louisville, said in a Facebook Live video on Tuesday evening that Fischer’s order is “total religious discrimination.”
“I get not having church,” Salvo said. “I get not having people in a building and maintaining social distancing. But my immediate take on this is: We are in a car … How in the world can we be a problem being in a car.”
Salvo said in a separate Facebook Live video that On Fire Christian Church will have a drive-in service Wednesday evening. Fischer’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about what the city plans to do with respect to the service.
It is VERY disheartening to not be able to assemble ourselves in church at regular service times. However, it has been proven across the country, numerous times, that a church gathering was the direct cause of COVID-19 spreading like wildfire. I don’t think these pastors are using wisdom at all!! If the congregates get COVID-19 because of this, the pastor should be arrested for attempted murder. If a congregate dies from it, then the pastor should be charged with first degree premeditated murder. Saving lives is not an infringement upon anyone’s rights.
I don’t think the pastor should be arrested the members came on their on from what I am reading the pastor did not go their home and pull them by the hair of their head and make them come to the service so the blame should be on all that came. Now please understand I am a born again Christian and would have loved to spent the Lord’s Day with my Church family but God wants us to stay healthy and always remember we don’t need a building to gather and worship you can sit in your own home with your family and open up your Bible and worship. God sees you no matter where you are and when he sees us Reading his word an praising him he can smile down on his Children and tell the Devil that this is another battle that he lost
I have a friend, whose sister went to a church service in WV a few weeks ago. She was briefly sick. Now he Mother, Father and Brother have all tested positive and are very sick..
Please stay at home.
Let them have service. Also they should quarantine themselves at the church for 14 days.
Governor is trying help us get through this n these ppl choosing to do this puts everyone in danger preacher is like no preacher well real one I ever knew he should be charged we will never survive this virus doing opposite of our part to help our selfs n others liook how many have passed it will continue to spread we have to listen to governor he is looking out for his family n ours. I appreciate him n others trying
No they shouldn’t have church service. There is a virus going around. Why make it worse. Use your damn head ,why spread it more wow. So stupid