Some Governors Exempt Worship Services From Public Gathering
Mar 27, 2020
While some states are only allowing live-streamed worship services, governors in Louisiana, Michigan, and Ohio have called for a “stay at home” order that allows for worship services to be held in public during the coronavirus outbreak.
In an email from the Louisiana Family Forum, the sister family policy council wrote, “While the new order [from Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards] continues to require postponement of events with more than 10 people, it specifically defines travel to a place of worship as an ‘Essential Function’ (See Part 3, Sec. E), meaning that you may travel to church to conduct business, pray, or perform community service, so long as you honor the spirit of the public health order—specifically the 10-person meeting and 6-foot distance rules.”
Michigan’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, has exempted gatherings for “religious worship” from the executive order penalizing certain sized gatherings on the ground that the government did not have the right to close churches as a matter of “separation of church and state.”
And then in Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine tweeted to concerned Ohio citizens, "We did not order religious organizations to close, but my message to everyone is that this is serious."
One of the large churches in Ohio, Solid Rock Church, is continuing to hold its Wednesday and Sunday services after the stay at home order was issued. The church issued its own statement in response to criticism, “the government ban on large gatherings does not apply to religious worship . . . We are respectful of every individual’s right to choose either to come to our service or to watch online. We do believe that it is important for our doors to remain open for whomever to come to worship and pray during this time of great challenge in our country.”
FACT President David Fowler’s commentary last Friday addressed these issues.
Send a Note of Encouragement to Governor Edwards
La Family Forum email
State of Louisiana Additional Measures for COVID-19 Stay at Home
Louisiana Governor
Michigan governor exempts worship services from state ban on gatherings of 50 or more
Christian Post
Governor Mike DeWine’s Twitter Post March 22, 2020, Concerning Worship Services
Governor Mike DeWine's Twitter thread
Solid Rock Church continues to hold services during coronavirus outbreak
Local12 News
NOTE: FACT provides links to external websites for educational purposes only. The inclusion of any links to other websites does not necessarily constitute an endorsement.
In an email from the Louisiana Family Forum, the sister family policy council wrote, “While the new order [from Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards] continues to require postponement of events with more than 10 people, it specifically defines travel to a place of worship as an ‘Essential Function’ (See Part 3, Sec. E), meaning that you may travel to church to conduct business, pray, or perform community service, so long as you honor the spirit of the public health order—specifically the 10-person meeting and 6-foot distance rules.”
Michigan’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, has exempted gatherings for “religious worship” from the executive order penalizing certain sized gatherings on the ground that the government did not have the right to close churches as a matter of “separation of church and state.”
And then in Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine tweeted to concerned Ohio citizens, "We did not order religious organizations to close, but my message to everyone is that this is serious."
One of the large churches in Ohio, Solid Rock Church, is continuing to hold its Wednesday and Sunday services after the stay at home order was issued. The church issued its own statement in response to criticism, “the government ban on large gatherings does not apply to religious worship . . . We are respectful of every individual’s right to choose either to come to our service or to watch online. We do believe that it is important for our doors to remain open for whomever to come to worship and pray during this time of great challenge in our country.”
FACT President David Fowler’s commentary last Friday addressed these issues.
News Sources
Send a Note of Encouragement to Governor EdwardsLa Family Forum email
State of Louisiana Additional Measures for COVID-19 Stay at Home
Louisiana Governor
Michigan governor exempts worship services from state ban on gatherings of 50 or more
Christian Post
Governor Mike DeWine’s Twitter Post March 22, 2020, Concerning Worship Services
Governor Mike DeWine's Twitter thread
Solid Rock Church continues to hold services during coronavirus outbreak
Local12 News
NOTE: FACT provides links to external websites for educational purposes only. The inclusion of any links to other websites does not necessarily constitute an endorsement.
