Pennsylvania Pastor Plans on Holding ‘Woodstock-like’ Easter Service Despite COVID-19 Concerns
A Pennsylvania pastor is planning on holding a massive Easter service despite the state's current stay-at-home orders due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Per CBS Pittsburgh affiliate KDKA, evangelist pastor Jonathan Shuttlesworth of Revival Today TV said during a recent video stream, "I’m gonna announce it. We’re gonna hold an outdoor Easter blowout service. Not online. A national gathering. You come from all over, like Woodstock. And we’re gonna gather and lift up Jesus Christ." So far, a location and time for the service have yet to be announced.
Shuttlesworth recently was critical of European churches that suspended services due to the Coronavirus pandemic saying, "Shame on every European full gospel church, bunch of sissies, that shut down during this thing. If you’re putting out pamphlets and telling everybody to use Purell before they come into the sanctuary and don’t greet anyone, you should just turn in your ministry credentials and burn your church down — turn it into a casino or something. You’re a loser. Bunch of pansies. No balls. Got neutered somewhere along the line and don’t even realize it."
A few pastors have made headlines as of late for being arrested for holding church services despite the warnings about mass gatherings increasing the spread of COVID-19. Most recently, Florida megachurch pastor Rodney Howard-Browne was arrested and charged with "unlawful assembly" and "violation of public health emergency order" for continuing to hold church services, according to Fox News. Today (April 1), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a statewide stay-at-home order, per NBC News.