By Randy DeSoto
Published August 19, 2020 at 2:34pm
A Pasadena, California, prosecutor is threatening the leadership and members of Harvest Rock Church with fines, up to a year of jail time, and closure of their congregation altogether if they continue to hold in-person church services.
In mid-July Gov. Gavin Newsom directed houses of worship, gyms, hair salons and several other indoor venues to close in the counties on the state’s “County Monitoring List,” citing the rising number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in those localities.
Newsom said the counties on the monitoring list make up about 80 percent of California’s population.
Churches are grouped into what the governor described as “non-critical” sectors.
Multiple churches, including Harvest Rock in Pasadena (located in Los Angeles County), did not comply, citing their First Amendment freedoms.
Harvest Rock senior pastor Ché Ahn said at the time, “As a pastor, I believe we’ve been essential for 2,000 years.”
The congregation, along with over 160 others in California with which it is affiliated, filed a lawsuit last month seeking an injunction against enforcing Newsom’s order, not only with regard to indoor worship services, but others he has issued prohibiting singing during church gatherings and banning meeting in private homes for Bible studies.
Last week, Harvest Rock received a letter from the Pasadena city prosecutor’s criminal division threatening jail time and fines for every in-person church gathering it holds going forward.
“This letter is to remind you that violations of these Orders are criminal in nature,” the document states. “Each day in violation is a separate violation and carries with it punishment up to one year in jail and a fine for each violation.
“Your compliance with these Orders is not discretionary, it is mandatory. Any violations in the future will subject your Church, owners, administrators, operators, staff and parishioners to the above-mentioned criminal penalties as well as the potential closures of your Church.”
https://www.westernjournal.com/ca-prosecutor-threatens-worshippers-jail-time-continue-attend-church/?ff_source=site&ff_medium=protrumpnews&ff_campaign=can