Posted on 08/03/2020 8:52:01 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
County officials have allegedly threatened Grace Community Church in California with fines and possible arrest for reopening his church in defiance of lockdown orders from Gov. Gavin Newsom during the pandemic. Still, Pastor John MacArthur has vowed to continue in-person services.
"We will obey God rather than men," MacArthur said in a video statement Friday. "We're going to be faithful to the Lord and we're going to leave the results to Him. Whatever happens is going to be what He allows to happen. But He will be on our side because we will be obedient and faithful to His word."
“We will not bow to Caesar,” he added. "The Lord Jesus Christ is our king."
Officials from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health have threatened MacArthur with “repercussions such as fines and even possible arrest” if his church doesn’t comply with state orders, the Rev. Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, wrote on Facebook.
The department’s Environmental Health division "is investigating and will be reaching out to the church leaders to let them know they need to comply with the Health Officer Order,” Religion News Service reported.
MacArthur noted that this wouldn't be the first time that they find themselves "in a trial" or "end up in a court setting." In 1980, Grace Community Church was sued for clergy malpractice by the parents of a 24-year-old, who was part of the church, after he committed suicide. Nearly a decade later, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case, allowing California Supreme Court's decision to dismiss the lawsuit to stand.
While he said he doesn't know "what the Lord has for us" this time around, they will continue meeting for worship every Sunday.
"We will meet as the church of Jesus Christ because we're commanded to do that. We will sing, we will pray, we will fellowship, we will proclaim the Word of God far and wide and even around the world through this livestream opportunity that we have," the pastor stressed.
Commenting on churches, including megachurches, that have chosen to shut down until January, MacArthur said, "I don’t have any way to understand that other than they don’t know what a church is and they don’t shepherd their people but that’s sad.
"And you have a lot of people in Christianity, who seem to be significant leaders, who aren’t giving any strength and courage to the church, they’re not standing up and rising up and calling on Christians to be the church in the world as I said on Sunday."
The pastor also addressed "misinformation" about his church and ministry regarding the Paycheck Protection Program.
He clarified that the federal government “did send us money; we did not receive that money. We sent it back … We did not receive a dime from the federal government.”
California continues to see a surge in coronavirus cases. It had a record high of 215 COVID-19 deaths on Friday. Total confirmed cases so far are 516,000 and over 9,000 deaths have been recorded in the state. Amid the surge, Newsom indefinitely closed churches and other businesses in more than 30 of the state’s 58 counties.
Some churches, including Destiny Christian Church in Rocklin, said they would still gather for worship.
In an earlier statement, MacArthur and elders of the church said they "respectfully inform our civic leaders that they have exceeded their legitimate jurisdiction, and faithfulness to Christ prohibits us from observing the restrictions they want to impose on our corporate worship services."
“Government officials have no right to interfere in ecclesiastical matters in a way that undermines or disregards the God-given authority of pastors and elders,” MacArthur wrote. "Compliance would be disobedience to our Lord’s clear commands."
Grace Community Church is making efforts to accommodate all persons as they take various precautions during the pandemic.
About a thousand extra seats will be kept outside the church building for those who may want to sit in the open. The church will also provide sanitizers and masks for those who want them.
MacArthur noted that they want to be as "gracious as we can be to as many people as possible" and be welcoming to all — whether people want to remain at home and watch online, attend in person but prefer outside seating, or wear masks or not wear masks.
"We don't want anybody to feel unwelcome. We don't want anybody to feel like an outsider because they sit outside or because they decide to wear a mask ... That's all fine. That's all temporary. That's all superficial kinds of things," he said.
;-)
For obeying Scripture?
“... The main concern should be the safety of the congregation..”
____________________________________________
If ppl don’t want to catch Covid, they can stay home. At least this pastor has courage and understands the needs of his flock. My archbishop is a coward. He let us suffer for weeks.
Gatherings spread Communicable disease. Doesn’t matter what type of gatherings.
This fact has been known and prohibited during epidemics for more than 150 years. Do some reading.
Idiots, morons, and other “superior” thinking people seem to think that somehow churches are exempt from this basic physical rule.
More than one pastor who believed he was smarter than everyone else has died by defying public health common sense. It hasn’t apparently stopped the attention seeking.
If the less educated were a little more tuned into world history and were aware of the way epidemics were handled throughout history, long before vaccines, they wouldn’t be so surprised at the current strategy used by public health.
Scanning through the comments proved my worst fears Most of FR are infested with fearmongers who think it is OK to tell churchs when and how many can attend their services.
Utterly useless to the Constitution. Are we going to shut down the churchs every single year during the flu season. If not, then why now?
However, by engaging in his either/or position and not working with the gov. to allow alternatives then I do not think MacArthur is on solid ground.
I don’t think there’s much working with the guvment in CA.
I’m so thankful that we have you erudite, irreligious elites to put us less educated morons in our place. Rights, shmights, who needs ‘em anyway?
One can be both religious and have a brain, except in Conspiracy Land
There is no precedence for church affairs to be regulated by the government-can't sing, only fifty people can attend, etc. This is nothing more than communism and exactly what they do in China. Most of the true church there is underground and that is exactly what we are heading for. Pretending to conduct Zoom Bible studies and social gatherings-but failing to meet together. If people feel uncomfortable with getting together to worship, then they can stay home. That's OK. But I think John MacArthur is right on. It's too bad other churches are not following his lead.
Heb 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Here is Pastor MacArthur's most excellent sermon on this matter: We Must Obey God Rather Than Men
“Everyone meet at Walmart on Sunday in the liquor section: 10 AM. No one will be shopping there. We will sing and pray and I’ll say a few words.”
“Beloved; Walmart management has cast us out; so we’ll meet in the Metroplex Theater at 11, instead.”
The feature film will The Passion, followed by an intermission, then by Apocalypto - both Mel Gibson movies.
Evening service at 6 PM with The Patriot showing.
At least (for now) we don't have to stay outside the city and shout UNCLEAN! when someone comes near.
We are ADULTS!!
Let US decide what is SAFE!!
...or even if you are not!
Safety?
It is one thing to say, “We’re having church. You’d BETTER be here!”
And another to say, “We’re having church; come if you wish.”
I don't think anyone disagrees with this; just the double or triple standard of what type of 'gatherings' are permitted and what are not.
Some truly are more equal than others.
“Idiots, morons, and other “superior” thinking people seem to think that somehow churches are exempt from this basic physical rule.”
I think the point is why should churches be subject to restrictions far more severe than businesses, let alone protests? Why are churches singled out for bans? If you can have 50% capacity seating at a restaurant, why limit a congregation of 1,000 to 10 people?
The answer is the people making the rules hate Jesus Christ and any who follow Him!
I totally agree that the rules should be the same for all gatherings. It is outrageous that democrats allow protests but nothing else for example. I could not agree more. What’s good for one is good for another. But I think it is foolish for evangelical preachers to somehow think that their gatherings are exempt from the rules. That is just wrong and it is dangerous for their old parishioners.
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