Church Tied to Oregon's Largest Coronavirus Outbreak

A church in rural northeastern Oregon is now the epicenter of the state’s largest coronavirus outbreak, as 236 people tested positive for the disease

A church in rural northeastern Oregon is now the epicenter of the state's largest coronavirus outbreak, as 236 people tested positive for the disease, authorities said Tuesday.

The outbreak also led to Oregon's second consecutive record-setting daily case count.

“I think generally we are seeing increasing numbers, which is what we expected with reopening,” said Thomas Jeanne, the deputy state health officer and deputy state epidemiologist.

In response to the increasing case counts Gov. Kate Brown last week said she was putting all county applications for further reopening from her COVID-19 restrictions on hold for seven days. Read More

The church in question reportedly held services in April and May despite Oregon COVID-19 restrictions limiting gatherings. It also reportedly held a wedding and a graduation ceremony, each with more than a 100 people in attendance. When a church does not follow its own state's guidelines and then becomes the nexus of a large cluster of COVID-19 cases, it damages the witness of other churches not just in one locality but throughout the region, the state, and the country. It reflects poorly on other Christians and Pentecostals in particular because the church was Pentecostal. The freedom to worship is something that we should cherish but with that freedom comes responsibility. It is not freedom to disregard the safety of others, to act recklessly, and to endanger their lives.