Another defiant pastor dies from COVID. How much is enough?

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What will it take for all of these hireling pastors who do not care a whit about their congregants to realize that they are not that important? When will they realize that the NAR dominionist view of the church is the apostate view? That the church is not their little building they managed to erect to hold services? That we are the body of Christ collectively, having nothing to do with a physical location? It was not enough when Pastor Landon Spradlin mocked the attention COVID was getting by calling it mass hysteria designed to hurt President Trump and then he died from the virus. It was not enough when a church in Illinois held service for 80 people in mid-March only to see 43 of the congregants now sick with ten confirmed COVID cases. When will the false bravado and bible mangling used to prop up their bloated sense of self-importance stop? Perhaps now, one can only hope.

Bishop Gerald O. Glenn of Richmond's New Deliverance Evangelistic church in Virginia held a service on March 22nd, in defiance of local prohibitions to not gather with more than 10 people. Reports are that he packed the church that day. During that service he vowed to keep on preaching "unless I'm in jail or the hospital." He declared that he was "essential" because he was a preacher and he "talks to God." Bishop Glenn is now dead from the COVID virus he simply did not take seriously.

He said in the service that he wanted to be quoted as saying God is larger than this dreaded virus, adding that "people are healed" in his church. Glenn was not wrong. God is larger than the virus. One of the common theological mistakes NAR believing pastors make is that just because God CAN do something, it does not mean automatically He MUST. Perhaps God is using this calamity to draw people unto him. Perhaps He is sifting His church to separate out the remnant from the apostate. Perhaps He is using the authorities that Romans 13 says He put in place, to properly warn us to be good citizens and obey the law and in doing so protect us. Whatever the reason is, Bishop Gerald O. Glenn will not be with us anymore to find out. He will also not be able to lead his flock anymore. To protect them, as he should have done from the beginning.

And what of that flock, that now attended a packed church service just three weeks ago led by a pastor infected with the COVID virus. How many people did he lay hands on in that service? How many people shook hands during that service? How many more will die because people are too quick to believe a Facebook meme rather than the bible. His wife is now sick with COVID as well. Their daughter told a local new station that while her father initially dismissed the symptoms, she is now urging everyone to stay at home. "It becomes very real to you, I just beg people to understand the severity and the seriousness of this, because people are saying it's not just about us, it's about everyone around us."

Yes, it is. Now is this what it will take for the macho, thumb in the eye of authority pastors to wake up? Will it take the death of someone they love? While I hope not, the cancer of NAR dominionism runs deep in the apostate church. We however have had enough. So please, spare us your conspiracy theories. Spare us your inane babbling about things you do not understand like viral spreading, mortality rates, or the constitution. Take your eyes off of your money for one minute and realize that you have been charged as a pastor with the care of the sheep you see every Sunday. You do not know if they have the virus or as Bishop Glenn unfortunately found out, if you have it. This is not about faith, it is about obedience. It is about caring for people. Yes, even older people and those with pre-existing conditions. Do you even read the bible? I mean other than to justify your own false beliefs. The number one topic in the bible after salvation, is taking care of the neediest in society. It is the weightier matters the Pharisees never understood because they too were focused on this world.

I do not want to be writing about this. I would prefer to write about how the church is using this time to draw closer to God and still using technology to not forsake the fellowship. I do not read any stories about Imams or Rabbis refusing to obey and holding services despite the warnings. How do you think the world sees that? You remember the unsaved, don't you? This is a time they should see the church as a shining city on a hill, offering comfort and prayer in a time of great loss and fear. Instead they see a petulant bunch of spoiled brats thinking they understand the entirety of law because they can properly read one amendment to the constitution. Selfish egotistical children who think they are more important than the lives of those they claim to serve. Grandstanding, arrogant hirelings posing as pastors who instead of being part of the solution are most defiantly part of the problem. We the church beg you - quit being part of the problem and go home.

Rev. Anthony.

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.