Protesters and congregations clashed Sunday after a church in California held indoor services in violation of a judge’s temporary restraining order, according to a report.
Rob McCoy, the pastor at Ventura County’s Godspeak Calvary Chapel, held a Sunday morning service in the face of the judge’s order supporting state and local health mandates aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19.
McCoy’s decision joins other preachers in the state to challenge coronavirus mandates that they say they are honestly targeting places of worship. His decision to keep the service attracted fans and detractors.
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“There’s enough space to have wonderful open services and he chooses to break the rules. And I think that’s not good,” Shana Radashaw told Fox 11 Los Angeles. “I think God wants people to live healthy and be healthy and not spread disease if we don’t have to.”
Others said attending church was their right to freedom of expression and worship, and nothing replaces the feeling of going to a personal service, according to the station.
“We see a loss of all rights but the right of the church. This is the foundation of this country and we are very serious about it. So yes, we are going to go to jail for it,” Ginny Murry said.
“Being in communion with your church actually means coming together and feeling that power and I believe there is an agenda of people trying to separate us,” added Sandra Efraimson.
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This morning’s livestreams of the morning services showed a maskless McCoy standing for what he called “a room full of people” – with most recorded on video without masks on.
“I see a room full of people realizing that freedom is not the idea of man, it is God’s idea,” McCoy said during the service. “And you will be ridiculed and you will malign, but you will do it for those who ridicule and malign you.”
McCoy told FOX 11 the reason he did not keep services out is that a staff member has a sun allergy and that there is not a large enough park nearby to satisfy all of its members.
The pastor promised Friday to hold service despite Ventura County Superior Court Judge Matthew Guasco issuing the temporary restraining order, citing “an immediate threat to public health and safety due to the new coronavirus of 2019.”
Worshipers set out to take community April 5, 2020 on Palm Sunday outside the Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newbury Park, Calif. (AP Photo / Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
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“On a scale of one to 10 of the most direct irreparable damage possible, this is a 10,” Guasco said during a hearing. “It does not become much more immediate or irreparable than the threat that many people will spread a contagious and deadly disease.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
