Friday, May 22, 2020

Pastor Sues Over Delaware COVID-19 Restrictions On Church Services

According to the Delaware News Journal, on Tuesday Rev. Christopher Bullock, pastor of  Canaan Baptist Church in New Castle, filed suit against Delaware Governor John Carney over COVID-19 limits on church services. The suit was filed a day after the Governor loosened restrictions somewhat. According to the paper:
[G]atherings must be limited to 30% of the fire code capacity and strict social distancing must be maintained. In-person services were previously limited to 10 people at a time. 
Also, service times cannot run longer than one hour and must be staggered for the area to be cleaned. 
These guidelines can be problematic for some churches, said Bullock, who added that some African American preachers take about an hour to get started. He also pointed out that depending on the size of the temples and congregations, worshipers might not be able to attend God's House as often as they choose.  
"It is too intrusive. We know how to take care of ourselves," he said. "We don't need the government to tell us what to do, how long to do it and why to do it."