Dundalk pastor pushes back on COVID restrictions
Dundalk pastor pushes back on COVID restrictions
The back-and-forth between Baltimore County and Calgary Baptist Church came to a head during a Wednesday night service, as Pastor Stacey Shiflett literally and figuratively shredded a cease and desist order he had received two days earlier.
OPEN BACK UâCALLING THEMESSENTIAL.
AND IF GOVERNORSDON'T FOLLOW THE NEW FEDERALRECOMMENDATION âHE SAIDHE'LL OVERRIDE THEM.
UNDERPHASE ONE OF THE RECOVERY PLANIN OUR STATEâ CHURCHES ANDHOUSES OF WORSHIP ARE ALLOWEDTO SAFELY HOLD RELIGIOUSSERVICES.
OUTSIDE SERVICES ARESTRONGLY ENCOURAGED, BUTINSIDE SERVICES MAY BEPERMITTED AT 50% CAPACITY ORLESS WITH APPROPRIATE SAFETYPROTOCOLS.
MANY CHURCHES HAVENOT STARTED DOING THAT.
ADUNDALK PASTOR HAS MADENATIONAL HEADLINES AFTERINVITING PEOPLE BACK TO CHURCHDESPITE BALTIMORE COUNTYORDER LIMITING SUCH GATHERINGSTO NO MORE THAN 10 PEOPLEDURING THE ONGOING PANDEMIC.WMAR 2 NEWSHIS STORY.(HAGER SâUP) 31:32âThepastor here at Calgary BaptistChurch is planning to hold twoadditional services thisSunday in spite of BaltimoreCountyand to shut him downâ (TRACTHE BACâANâ FORTH BETWEENBALTIMORE COUNTY AND CALGARYBAPTIST CHURCH CAME TO A HEADDURING A WEDNESDAY NIGHTSERVICE, AS PASTOR STACEYSHIFLETT LITERALLY ANDFIGURATIVELY SHREDDED A CEASEAND DESISTE ORDER HE HADRECEIVED TWO DAYS EARLIER.(NAT SOT) :22âThe closer weget to Jesus coming back, themore church we ought to behaving, not less church.
Now,thaâ(ripscease & desist order)(SOTâPastor StaceyShiflett/Calvary BaptistChurch 10:12âI had no ideawhen we put that out oTwitter on Thursday morningthat it would take off like itdid, but I guess God can useanything to get a messageacross, and He chose to usethatâ (TRACK) THE CHURCH HELDHAD HELD ITS FIRST IâPERSON,WORSHIP SERVICE A WEEKEARLIER, JUST TWO HOURS AFTERGOVERNOR LARRY HOGAN REOPENEDRELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS TO HALFOF THEIR CAPACITY.
WITHIN 48HOURS, BALTIMORE COUNTYEXECUTIVE JOHNNY OLSZEWSKIREVERSED COURSE& REINSTATINGTHE PREVIOUS RESTRICTIONS.(SOT) 5:50âI donof us anticipated a countofficial a governorof the state.
If itanywhere else in the UnitedStates, I donIthat caught us completely offguardâ (TRACK) CITING THECONSTITUTION AND THE NEEDS OFHIS CONGREGATION, THE FIVâGENERATION PASTOR DECIDED TOPUSH BACK AND CONTINUE HOLDINGSERVICES.
AS A MEMBER OF THEGOVERNOâBASED WORKGROUP ON REOPENING CHURCHES,SHIFLETT HAD ALREADYIMPLEMENTED SIâ FEET RULES,TAKING TEMPERATURES, FACEMASKS AND THE LIKE,DISINFECTING THE SANCTUARYBEFORE AND AFTER EVERYSERVICE.
STILL, THE COUNTY HASTHREATENED TO FINE THE CHURCHFIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS IF ITPERSISTS.
(SOT) 8:21âWhen Igo to Dunkand youpeople huddled up in thatlittle drive thru areahandling cash, making mycoffee, putting lids on thecups, handling my straws,handing out the window, and Ican60âseat auditorium?
Itridiculousâ (HAGER SâUP)31:00âIn addition to all thesafety measures, people whare attending services heremust first sign a waiverclaiming they will not holdthe church responsible shouldthey contract the virus here.Reporting in Dundalk, JeffHager, WMAR 2 Newsâ"chruch is essnetial.
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