Los Angeles Times

Some churches defiantly hold services despite coronavirus stay-at-home orders

LOS ANGELES- The congregants lined up six feet apart on Palm Sunday, waiting to take Communion at Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Thousand Oaks. Ten people were allowed inside at a time, with someone spraying chairs with disinfectant after each use.

By the end of the day, hundreds of people had cycled through.

Nearby, in the church parking lot, protesters lined up their cars and honked their horns, disturbed that the church would so brazenly flout stay-at-home orders from Ventura County and the state, put in place to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

It wasn't a decision Pastor Rob McCoy took lightly. On Saturday night, he resigned his position on the Thousand Oaks City Council, saying he planned to violate orders that deem churches nonessential.

"As an elected official I am in

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times2 min read
Lakers Fade Again In Game 3 Loss To Denver, Moving To Brink Of Elimination
LOS ANGELES — The climb is mountainous, trouble lurking at every step. One bad dribble, and Denver runs the other direction, creating an open three. One missed assignment, and Aaron Gordon cuts baseline for a dunk. One whiffed box out and the Nuggets
Los Angeles Times3 min readCrime & Violence
Editorial: In Eco-minded California, There’s Still No Constitutional Right To Clean Air And Water
California may be a leader in the fight against climate change, but the state is years, even decades, behind other states when it comes to granting environmental rights to its citizens. While a handful of other state constitutions, including those of
Los Angeles Times4 min readAmerican Government
Supreme Court’s Conservatives Lean In Favor Of Limited Immunity For Trump As An Ex-president
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s conservative justices said Thursday they agree a former president should be shielded from prosecution for his truly official acts while in office, but not for private schemes that would give him personal gain. They al

Related Books & Audiobooks