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Pastor Charged for Holding Services Amid Coronavirus Lockdown

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The pastor of a Louisiana church was charged Tuesday with defying state efforts to curtail the coronavirus outbreak. Tony Spell of the Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge faces six counts of misdemeanor for holding services in violation of state-wide orders to stay home and to limit essential gatherings to 10 persons. Spell has said the government is infringing on the right to religion and that he will continue to hold services.

In a statement Tuesday, Louisiana’s Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran said the sheriff, state police, fire marshal and an evangelical adviser to the White House had all asked Spell to stop holding services since the coronavirus orders were issued. “Mr. Spell will have his day in court where he will be held responsible for his reckless and irresponsible decisions that endangered the health of his congregation and our community,” Corcoran said.

The charges pertain to individual instances where Spell held church services with large congregations during the month of March. He faces a $500 fine and up to six months in prison. Explaining his actions to CNN, Spell said: “We have a mandate from the word of the Lord to assemble together. The first amendment says that Congress shall make no law prohibiting the exercise of religion.”

In his live-streamed sermon on Tuesday, Spell was also adamant that pastors of other churches should “not let the fear of persecution of any government official, any dictator law, prevent you from worshiping God, which our First Amendment states you are not allowed to do in any form.”

Referring to the tension between rights and prohibitions during the coronavirus outbreak, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore has stated: “This is a very delicate issue and balance between emergency powers, the First Amendment, and religious rights and freedom. We respect the people’s right to meet and practice their religion, but during these dangerous times, some temporary restrictions will prevail.”