Pastor who refused to close his church dies from COVID-19

[southernhybrid]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/bishop-who-said-god-is-larger-than-this-dreaded-virus-dies-of-covid-19/ar-BB12Av3R

Bishop Gerald Glenn, the pastor of New Deliverance Evangelistic Church in Virginia has died, the church announced on Sunday. Glenn had tested positive for coronavirus, according to a video posted by his daughter Mar-Gerie Crawley.

How much damage to themselves and the innocent, but brainwashed parishioners will become infected or die?

He refused to close his church and said that he wasn't afraid to die. Now he's dead due to his own foolishness.

 

[southernhybrid]

Perhaps this one didn't realize how dangerous the virus was since it happened in February, but there are still churches in the US that are refusing to end services. Still, a lot of people are becoming infected all over the world due to participating in religious services.


https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-france-church/special-report-five-days-of-worship-that-set-a-virus-time-bomb-in-france-idUKKBN21H0QJ

For many members of this globe-spanning flock, the annual celebration is the highpoint of the church calendar.

This time, someone in the congregation was carrying the coronavirus.

The prayer meeting kicked off the biggest cluster of COVID-19 in France - one of northern Europe’s hardest-hit countries - to date, local government said. Around 2,500 confirmed cases have been linked to it. Worshippers at the church have unwittingly taken the disease caused by the virus home to the West African state of Burkina Faso, to the Mediterranean island of Corsica, to Guyana in Latin America, to Switzerland, to a French nuclear power plant, and into the workshops of one of Europe’s biggest automakers.

Weeks later, Germany partially closed its border with France, suspending a free-movement pact that has been in place for the past 25 years. The church cluster was a key factor, two people familiar with the German decision told Reuters. Church officials told Reuters that 17 members of the congregation have since died of complications linked to the disease.

Other religious gatherings have been linked to the spread of the virus: A large church in South Korea has triggered more than 5,000 cases there. This story, told to Reuters by members of the Christian Open Door congregation and officials involved in coping with the outbreak, is testament to the speed and ferocity of the coronavirus infection. As public health administrators were still gearing up for coronavirus, the disease was operating to its own, remorseless timetable - one that has quickly outpaced anything they could put in place.

As the faithful gathered on a clear Tuesday evening in the church, an old shopping centre converted into a 2,500 seat auditorium, the disease seemed remote. France had 12 confirmed cases, according to World Health Organization (WHO) data. There were none in the Mulhouse area.

France, like other governments in northern Europe, had imposed no restrictions on big meetings. There was no alcohol gel for the congregations to clean their hands, no elbow bumps instead of handshakes.

Still, the virus was common knowledge by mid February, yet no precautions were taken.

 

[southernhybrid]

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/emaoconnor/churches-easter-services-coronavirus-outbreak

“We as essential organizations need to show up right now. If nurses and doctors, or police officers and firefighters, didn’t show up, it would be considered dishonorable,” Bridge Church leader Joel Garza told BuzzFeed News. “Yet churches, for whatever reason, seem to feel like it's okay not to show up when our world needs us the most.”

Garza even went as far as to say that he believed attending services would help people fight off coronavirus.

“Right now people are staying at home, depressed, it weakens your immune system, and they're most susceptible to disease through depression,” Garza said. “But if they come to church, they're encouraged, they're joyful, their immune system receives like a B-12, and they're able to go do better fighting off any kind of infirmities.”

American Psychological Association Director of Clinical Research and Quality Vaile Wright told BuzzFeed News Friday that there was “certainly no evidence” to suggest that attending church could boost your immune system, and that even recommending a distance of 6 feet between congregants was still in violation of the CDC’s recommendations.

The link contains a lot of information about churches who are refusing to close, claiming their 1st amendment rights etc. Sadly, there will likely be a lot of Darwin Awards being given to the people who would rather listen to their pastors than try to understand the science behind the need for us to stay apart while the pandemic is raging.

I am happy to say that the vast majority of churches in Georgia have shut down, are either doing live streaming of their services or in a few cases, having drive in services.

Would anyone like to share how the churches in your area have responded to their state or CDC guidelines? Hopefully, most will use common sense and stay home.

 

[Keith&Co.]

Well, yes, Brothrr Garza, depression can lead to lower immunity.
Maybe, though, you could use your evident influence with your flock to convince them they're doing the Lord's work by not breathing on their fellow plague monkeys, which might cheer them up?
If you said, maybe, that, FAITH is important, not brick-and-mortar worship-warehouses?

And if they're practicing social distancing, diligently, they can afford a little lower immunity. Because there's no reason to believe that congregating can increase their natural immunity high enough to keep them safe from this shit.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

This is natural selection playing out right before our eyes. I'm not afraid of death either but would rather not move in too soon. Apparently though some disagree with my sentiment.

 

[southernhybrid]

This is natural selection playing out right before our eyes. I'm not afraid of death either but would rather not move in too soon. Apparently though some disagree with my sentiment.

I agree with that, and I honestly doubt that the pastor who said that believed that his god would allow him to die from this virus.

The thing that I find outrageous is that he put his congregation at risk, not only to themselves but to those who they might come in contact with as well.

 

[southernhybrid]

Here's another one.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article241863906.html

Two deaths from the coronavirus are now linked to a church conference held in mid-March in Kansas City, Kansas.

The two people who died were residents of Montgomery County in southeast Kansas.

l]

Kansas East Jurisdiction, the organizers of the conference, referred to its previous statement when reached for comment Wednesday. It said it notified attendees after it learned of two positive COVID-19 cases.

KDHE announced March 31 that multiple people at the gathering may have been exposed to the virus. At that time, at least seven cases were said to be connected to the church conference.

On Tuesday, the agency said the gathering had been linked to 15 coronavirus cases, including six hospitalizations.

By Wednesday, that number had increased to 18 cases and eight hospitalizations.

Three coronavirus clusters in Kansas are tied to church gatherings, according to KDHE.

Read more here: https://www.kansascity.com/news/coronavirus/article241863906.html#storylink=cpy

I expect we will see more cases that are due to churches holding services long after they were warned of the danger. Why not just do the virtual services that so many other churches have been doing? It does appear as if it's only the fundamentalist churches that are ignoring the advice, which is no surprise. But, it's sad enough that these people have already been brainwashed into believing this religious nonsense. Now they are being encouraged to risk their lives for a church gathering. Crazy.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Bishop Gerald Glenn, cited in the OP, was preaching four weekends ago. Quote: "I firmly believe that God is larger than this dreaded virus." What a load of misery he dumped on his flock. By contrast, the snake handlers in Appalachia generally just do themselves in.

 

[Ruth Harris]

Would anyone like to share how the churches in your area have responded to their state or CDC guidelines? Hopefully, most will use common sense and stay home.

I live in a rural area with a few small towns. Our local churches are all utilizing live streaming/drive in services; none are holding services in the church building. It has been this way since early/mid March.

Folks, if our backwoods area can do this it is possible for anyone. These people are not tech savvy at all.

As far as those pastors who demand in person attendance during this kind of emergency, my personal feelings are that God should strike them dead for their arrogance and lack of discernment. I know that doesn't sound very nice, but anyone who recklessly exposes others under their charge is not fit to live in my opinion. And those who do obey the call to attend in person should grow a backbone.

Ruth

 

[Bronzeage]

I have a friend who is a faithful Christian and asked her about these various ministers who insist on holding large services in spite of the warnings. She said, "They are like shepherds who lead their flock to a pasture where they've been told toxic plants grow among the grass."

They've let their ego and need to stand in front of a large crowd outweigh their true responsibilities.

There is a core Christian belief that God works through people, as in the sermon of the man who drowned waiting for God to save him. There is also a counterpart heresy where a person believes God's will shall be prevented without human action, or plainly, God is not all powerful and must have human actions to fulfill his desires.

This particular heresy explains it best.

 

[Atheos]

I have a friend who is a faithful Christian and asked her about these various ministers who insist on holding large services in spite of the warnings. She said, "They are like shepherds who lead their flock to a pasture where they've been told toxic plants grow among the grass."

They've let their ego and need to stand in front of a large crowd outweigh their true responsibilities.

There is a core Christian belief that God works through people, as in the sermon of the man who drowned waiting for God to save him. There is also a counterpart heresy where a person believes God's will shall be prevented without human action, or plainly, God is not all powerful and must have human actions to fulfill his desires.

This particular heresy explains it best.

Wow, if that were true it would almost be like God doesn't actually exist. Good thing that's not how the world behaves.

 

[Keith&Co.]

And those who do obey the call to attend in person should grow a backbone.

Slight problem, there. They have been convinced that following their authority's call IS showing backbone.
Trust in the Lord, and your faith, not scientists or Good Morning America, or Oprah.
They don't see it as cowering in the congregation, but as Standing Up To These Godless Experts!

 

[ideologyhunter]

It should be a teachable moment. Just imagine the internal dialog of an adult who came to church that day but didn't get 19 (or survived it.) "Gosh, I loved Pastor Gerald. But there he was, telling us God would protect us. And...then... and it wasn't just Pastor Gerald who got sick...so...why? how?" There must be some perceptive children from the congregation who can see the same thing. I'm taken with atheist testimonials which relate a childhood rejection of religion. There is a certain tribe of confident, sharp-witted children who hear the pompous and presumptuous claims of the religious 'authority' and just can't swallow them. They turn away. A lot of self-knowledge is gained at that moment.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

And those who do obey the call to attend in person should grow a backbone.

Slight problem, there. They have been convinced that following their authority's call IS showing backbone.
Trust in the Lord, and your faith, not scientists or Good Morning America, or Oprah.
They don't see it as cowering in the congregation, but as Standing Up To These Godless Experts!

Does anyone else thing the religious, self righteous pleading has more to do with making sure the donations continue to come in, and not so much with god's mysterious ways?

 

[Keith&Co.]

And those who do obey the call to attend in person should grow a backbone.

Slight problem, there. They have been convinced that following their authority's call IS showing backbone.
Trust in the Lord, and your faith, not scientists or Good Morning America, or Oprah.
They don't see it as cowering in the congregation, but as Standing Up To These Godless Experts!

Does anyone else thing the religious, self righteous pleading has more to do with making sure the donations continue to come in, and not so much with god's mysterious ways?

No, cannot be money.
These pastors are all living humbly.
In a van.
Down by the river.

 

[Politesse]

Well, he'll have his white-washed tomb.

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

Bishop Gerald Glenn, cited in the OP, was preaching four weekends ago. Quote: "I firmly believe that God is larger than this dreaded virus."

 

[Keith&Co.]

Bishop Gerald Glenn, cited in the OP, was preaching four weekends ago. Quote: "I firmly believe that God is larger than this dreaded virus."

by all accounts, God's larger than my first car. It still took out that church's sign on South Filmore.
It was scalped level, too, cut right off at the base.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

Good riddance.

 

[southernhybrid]

And those who do obey the call to attend in person should grow a backbone.

Slight problem, there. They have been convinced that following their authority's call IS showing backbone.
Trust in the Lord, and your faith, not scientists or Good Morning America, or Oprah.
They don't see it as cowering in the congregation, but as Standing Up To These Godless Experts!

Does anyone else thing the religious, self righteous pleading has more to do with making sure the donations continue to come in, and not so much with god's mysterious ways?

I have considered that myself, but then I try to tell myself that I'm being too cynical. Still, it is a possibility. There is one very conservative church in my area that is holding drive in services. The sermon is broadcast over the car radio. I don't know why they don't just live stream it, but maybe it has something to do with seeing their church friends in the cars nearby that makes them feel more like they are a part of something. Who knows?

The churches in my neighborhood stopped having live services in the end of February, or the beginning of March. One is a Methodist. One is Mormon and I'm not certain about the other one. But my neighborhood is middle and upper middle class, with lots of educated people, who I assume have better sense than some of those who live in lower socio economic areas.