‘We refuse to be afraid of COVID-19,’ says pastor of Hamilton church currently in outbreak
The pastor of a central Mountain church says it was worth the risk to hold a large in-person gathering before a COVID-19 outbreak involving a variant of concern was declared at the parish.
I'm proud of our church because we refuse to be afraid of COVID-19 when it comes to ministering the needs that people have," said Peter Marshall, senior pastor at Kingdom Worship Centre, in a Facebook livestream Thursday night.
People need a church that says, You know what, we don't care. We don't care of the risks.' ... Kingdom Worship Centre, you've done that. I'm proud of you and honoured to be your pastor."
The nearly-hour long stream comes as public health investigates complaints that the Upper Wellington Street church recently held an indoor service with dozens of people not wearing masks.
Ten parishioners at Kingdom Worship have tested positive for novel coronavirus since the outbreak was declared March 18.
Public health has not confirmed if the cases - some which have screened positive for a variant of concern - stem from the in-person service.
Monica Ciriello, the city's licensing manager, said Friday that Kingdom Worship was fined $1,000 for two infractions under Hamilton's face covering bylaw in relation to the service.
That service was broadcasted in a now-deleted livestream on Marshall's personal Facebook page.
Screenshots of the stream, shared with The Spectator by someone concerned about the situation, appear to be from March 7.
They show a scarcely spaced-out crowd without personal protective equipment.
At least 35 people can be seen at the service in close contact. The screenshots show some parishioners dancing hand-in-hand and others crouching or kneeling in prayer with their heads bowed together.
Kingdom Worship said in a statement Wednesday that its pastors and ministry team were praying for people who were struggling with anxiety, depression and some who were suicidal" at the service.
In Thursday's livestream, Marshall likened the attention the church has received this week to a personal attack."
Somebody took pictures of our service and sent it out as a malicious attack against the church. We pray for that person," Marshall said, adding later in the stream: Let the armchair people attack. Let the media attack. I refuse to allow it to stop me."
A 20-year pastor, Marshall said churches in North America have become complacent as it relates to religious freedoms during the pandemic. He said people need interaction, compassion and love in the form of prayer.
The issue now is, when people do that, they're called careless," said Marshall. The church has gotten so caught up with the fear of COVID-19 that it thinks that people (who) are willing to risk their lives for the gospel are careless people.
That's a lie from the pit of hell. They're caring people."
Public health did not directly address Marshall's comments in a statement to The Spectator.
It's critical that community settings, and all Hamiltonians, continue to follow public health guidance and advice to protect community members from the transmission of COVID-19," said spokesperson James Berry.
Kingdom Worship has closed voluntarily amid the outbreak.
Marshall said he respects public health and the work they have done to mitigate the spread of COVID. He said the church will be wiser, we have to be" when it reopens, but we're not going to be fearful."
This is a quote the lord gave me this morning: Peter, they need more than a mask and a clipboard. They need to see somebody's smiling face. They need to feel somebody's embrace and they need somebody's love,'" he said. The church must be willing to take the risk."
Sebastian Bron is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbron@thespec.com