Los Angeles public health officials have cleared John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church of an earlier COVID-19 outbreak and lifted all outbreak-related requirements and restrictions on the church.
“We are glad to announce that we received a notice from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health … saying that we have been cleared of COVID-19 outbreak,” the church announced on its website.
The county requires that churches report whenever at least three people test positive for COVID-19 within a two-week period, which public health officials consider an “outbreak.”
In mid-October, LA County reported that four people related to Grace tested positive for COVID-19. According to Grace, three of those sick with COVID were part-time employees.
Over the weekend, thousands of people liked MacArthur’s announcement of the good news on Facebook and hundreds commented.
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“Praise the Lord indeed,” commented Stacy Wood. “Thank you for leading well and inspiring so many to stand on the Word and trust the Lord.”
Similarly, a European woman named Helen Ursula, wrote: “Just too wonderful. (M)eanwhile here in Switzerland the government minimized the churches down for only 15 people. Such restrictions are crying out to God.
However, one man, Samuel Comer, dissented. “That’s all fine and dandy,” he said. “(B)ut speaking as someone who had the virus and seeing as your county has THE MOST cases in the entire state, I’ll continue to wear my PPE until a vaccine is set and stream your services online.”
Since July, the church has defied government bans on indoor worship and has gathered thousands each week for Sunday services, many of whom do not wear masks or social distance.
MacArthur and the elders of Grace have said that meeting for weekly worship is the church’s duty and that the church will not be “subject to Caesar,” but to God.
In response to the confirmed cases last month, Jenna Ellis, attorney for the church, contended that the three cases were not an “outbreak,” given that more than 7,000 people attend the Sun Valley, California, church.
“Three very mild positive tests among more than 7,000 people is hardly news: 0.0004 or 0.043% is not an ‘outbreak.’” Ellis said. “It has never been the church’s position that it is only safe to hold services if no one ever tests positive, or for example, if no one ever gets the flu during flu season. Our position has been that LA County shutting down churches indefinitely . . . is unconstitutional and harmful to the free exercise of religion.”
LA County continues its ban on indoor services. Coronavirus cases have doubled in California over the last month. And LA county recorded more than 6,800 cases over the weekend.
Over the past several months, Grace Community Church and MacArthur have been locked in a legal battle with the county over the restrictions.
The county initially threatened Grace and MacArthur with fines and arrest when they refused to comply. Then, when the church and MacArthur sued the county, LA County petitioned the court to hold Grace and MacArthur in contempt.
Last week, a superior court judge set a January 15 date for the contempt hearing. The judge also said he would allow Grace to depose county officials and call witnesses in the upcoming hearing.
In a video two months ago, MacArthur said he considers the government’s response to coronavirus a deception perpetrated by “the arch-deceiver, Satan himself.”
He added that “it does not surprise me that (government officials) want to shut down those who preach the gospel because the architects of this level of deception are not a part of the kingdom of heaven. They’re a part of the kingdom of darkness.”
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18 Responses
Great to hear!!!
I believe God has honored Dr. McArthur and his stand. Why did some churches end up with so many cases and a Church that Dr McArthur leads…did not?
God knows. I thank and praise God for the outcome.
Godspeed to Dr McArthur and the Grace Community Church family.
Yes, Praise God they are ok! Thank You God.
Random chance. Same as happens in other natural disasters, some people will be in the wrong place at the wrong time and die, others will be more lucky and survive. If they were taking precautions, then obviously that helps, but if not, it’s all down to luck.
The pandemic isn’t over, and cases are spiking in California as they are across the nation. If MacArthur starts holding services with hundreds of people packed into his church with no social distancing or masks, it’s only a matter of time before there’s more cases, and if there’s a superspreader among them, there could be a lot.
Jenna Ellis? As in, the constitutional law attorney associated with the Trump election lawsuits? SHE is their lawyer? That explains a lot.
In any case, I am glad that there is no outbreak. I may disagree with Dr MacArthur’s “ignore government authority” approach and “to be a Christian is to be a Republican” political push, but I do not want to see anyone ill.
There are three types of churches: courageous, compliant or complicit. Glad Grace is courageous and is questioning the science of those that believe there are more than two genders and that a baby is not a human.
Since when does epidemiology and virology have anything to do gender or prenatal science?
Since you are such a genius, here is a bonus:
What gender is someone born with an XXY or an X0 (only 45 chromosomes) chromosome haplotype? Or the 46,XX/46,XY genetic chimera? They do exist. Google it.
Here is a bonus… a transgendered person is one who transitions from one sex to another… not somebody born with a fallen body who is in limbo… they will figure it out with God’s help.
John is just another white-washed septic tank, or in modern terms a grandiose narcissist who needs to be the center of attention so much that he does not care what happens as long as his worshipers show up to worship his great preaching skills. The man has told the Holy Spirit where to shove his gifts and he has no conscience about enriching himself and his family with millions of Mammon. This guy is as despicable as they come. Too bad that people show up to worship him as their own little pope. John has no fear of God like so many other “great” christians $elling a gospel that Jesus did not model…
Mr. Jesperson is bitter and a very unhappy person. Dr. MacArthur is an honorable Man of God, and that’s why God has chosen to honor him.
God has not chosen to honor him, but Satan sure has. And yet sounds like you are just as caustic as he is. Did Jesus not say, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.” Is John not a hypocritical teacher of the law? One who has served Mammon first and enriched himself? Is he not a law breaker? Has he not made himself and his immediate family rich? Has he not told the Holy Spirit where it can shove certain gifts he does not like?
If I am bitter than so was Jesus and John the Baptist. They both called men exactly like that snakes. John sure fits that mold…
CM, I will suppose this was directed at me “Since when does epidemiology and virology have anything to do gender or prenatal science? ” It has to do with whether it’s important that a scientist will tell the truth. If they will lie to support a political point or a bias then they cannot be trusted. Is it important that scientist tell the truth?
A question for you: does the scientific method support that a baby in the womb is a human being?
Mike – your counterpoint should also be tested. This site is full of investigations and exposure of pastors and religious leaders who are proven liars – they lie to support themselves, their bias, and to cover their sin. There are pastors who have lied, covered lies, and defended lies in order to support a political point or bias (be it conservative or liberal). Your concern should not only be about scientists lying. THAT is a bias in and of itself.
(BTW, science and faith are not mutually exclusive. There are doctors who are pro-life – my mom included. We know from scripture that Luke was a doctor. God can truly gift those with medical and scientific minds to provide us with healing, innovation, technology and more. And in the end…God created it ALL, science included).
MH, certainly, everyone should be tested for falsehood. As Jesus said “there are none good but God”, right? What I was trying to show was those that lean on science still can’t get around morals since the scientist can be rotten. I think whether they will admit that the human baby is a human is an easy test to see if they are honest.
BTW, did you see the scientist that submitted phony research to scientific journal a few years ago just to see how thorough their reviews were? You should read the story if you haven’t already as it will show how biased the scientific community has become. Site: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/academics-bust-leftist-peer-reviewed-journals-with-fake-papers-on-dog-rape
The county did not clear this John’s church. See Warren Throckmorton’s site for details and the latest quote from the health dept. John is just a narcissistic leader scamming people to become a millionaire. And he is playing with fire with this pandemic. https://www.wthrockmorton.com/2020/11/17/l-a-county-concludes-workplace-investigation-of-grace-community-church-covid-19-requirements-still-binding-on-church/#disqus_thread
It should be noted that this only means they are cleared from EXTRA requirements stemming from their outbreak of a few weeks ago. They are STILL required to follow the county health rules regarding maximum size of indoor gatherings, masks etc. Which we as Christians should be eager to do — worship online or outdoors is a small sacrifice for guarding the health of our neighbors.
So they haven’t “won” their conflict with the County — things are just back where they were a month or so ago. Local officials trying to protect the public health, and MacArthur still placing politics and his own massive ego above loving his neighbors. I guess he is only pro-life until people are born.
Great job JMac and Co.,
You dodged one bullet, beat back a little bit of “big-gov” and now you feel you have won the right to continue to endanger your congregation and their community.
Hope you’re proud of yourself.
J.Macarthur has obviously a Real faith to nevermind the politically correct/ incorrect,