LOS ANGELES -- Grace Community Church, a megachurch located near Los Angeles, recently held indoor services in defiance of a court ruling and a public health order from Los Angeles County.
Tom Ciesielka, spokesman for the Thomas More Society in Chicago, which is supporting the church's legal defense, weighed in on the controversy.
‘’What I can offer now is that Pastor MacArthur’s comments are available at his church’s website of the livestream from Sunday,’’ Ciesielka told the Southern California Record.
“Grace Community Church is doing exactly what they have for 63 years— holding church," Jenna Ellis, Thomas More Society special counsel, also told the Record. "They have tried to be reasonable and work with LA County, but the County would not accept anything short of shutting down the Church entirely. LA County showed clearly their discriminatory intent.
"This isn’t about health. Pastor MacArthur simply held church, and the California and U.S. Constitutions protect his right to do that. He is rightly standing firm that church is essential."
Pastor John McArthur has led the congregation at the Sun Valley church for almost 50 years. Worshippers packed the church last Sunday and there were estimates of close to 3,500 parishioners in attendance.
"The powers of the city were not happy” about the church challenging the COVID-19 mandates, McArthur said in his Sunday sermon.
“They don’t want us to meet, that’s obvious,” McArthur said in his Sunday sermon, excerpts of which were included in a release on The Washington Times website. “They’re not willing to work with us. They just want to shut us down. But we’re here to bring honor to the Lord.”
McArthur told his worshippers that the County asked the church to wear masks and practice social distancing.
“We agreed, [saying] look, we’ll comply for a few weeks," McArthur said. "They asked that for three weeks. We’re not wanting to be defiant. We will do what is reasonable. That was not enough for the city. They went to the appellate court Saturday late, and had that order removed.”