Mississippi Church Building Burned Down After Congregation Assembles for In-Person Service
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – A pastor in Mississippi has reported that his church building was burned down because his congregation had gathered together in person while COVID-19 restrictions were in place, USA Today (USAT) reported Wednesday.
Jerry Waldrop, who leads the First Pentecostal Church of Holly Springs, believes stay-at-home orders affecting churches are unconstitutional and has been involved in legal action to protect the rights to religious freedom and assembly. However, Waldrop told USAT, his congregation had been observing all social distancing and CDC coronavirus guidelines before the arson attack.
Explaining how his church came to be burned down, Waldrop told USAT: “On Easter Sunday, police officers with the city of Holly Springs interrupted our service and issued me a citation for violating an unconstitutional stay at home order. Ten days later, our peaceful Bible study was shut down although we were following all social distancing guidelines.”
Waldrop continued: “But the nightmare wasn’t over. Last Wednesday, someone burned down our church, leaving only a smoldering mass of debris and our dreams.” Moreover, Waldrop said, the arsonists left graffiti “trying shame us for worshiping together in our church.” The graffiti read: “I Bet you stay home now you hypokrits [sic].”
Following an Appeals Court ruling allowing churches to meet in person, Waldrop said his congregation would continue to assemble. As regards the arsonist(s), the pastor said: “We are not offended that others don’t share our firmly held belief that gathering together to worship and to study the Bible is an essential duty and necessary to the growth of the church and its members. And we will pray for the soul and peace of mind of someone who would harbor such hatred that he would take from us our cherished spiritual home.”
A Marshall County arson investigation is ongoing.
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