Coronavirus News: Some Churches To Hold Services For Thousands Of Worshipers On Easter Sunday

With stay-at-home orders in place as the threat of the coronavirus continues to bear down, Easter Sunday may have a different feel for many worshipers.

Public health officials have warned about gatherings of more than 10 people, causing many churches to forego services this holiday weekend. But some churches say they will hold services despite the orders or threat of the virus to their congregation.

Local authorities have warned Americans about large gatherings for worship, reminding them of the stay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Many churches are televising or streaming their services online to comply with the orders, while others say services will continue as normal on Easter.

“Satan and a virus will not stop us,” Reverend Tony Spell, pastor of the evangelical Life Tabernacle Church near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told Reuters. The megachurch is expected to have a crowd of more than 2,000 people on Sunday, the news outlet said.

Spell continued by saying, “God will shield us from all harm and sickness. We are not afraid. We are called by God to stand against the Antichrist creeping into America’s borders. We will spread the Gospel.”

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), an independent global health research center at the University of Washington, has warned of a surge of coronavirus cases on Easter, saying that Sunday may be the worst day in the U.S., which according to its modeling could reach 2,212 deaths.

According to John Hopkins University, the U.S. has over 467,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 16,700 deaths from the virus. Globally, there have been over 1.6 million cases of the coronavirus and over 97,000 deaths.