South Jersey Church Reopens In Spite Of Stay-At-Home Orders

CLEMENTON, NJ — A South Jersey church reopened its doors to parishioners this weekend in defiance of Gov. Phil Murphy’s stay-at-home orders.

Bible Baptist Church in Clementon reopened on Sunday, according to church officials. A spokesperson said the governor violated both state and federal law when he executed his stay-at-home order on March 16.

“The actions that our governor has taken to infringe upon the 1st amendment rights of both citizens and churches is nothing short of unlawful,” spokesperson Thomas Lapp said in a statement.

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The church opened for more than 15 parishioners and had signs laying out rules for social distancing guidelines, Fox 29 reports. No police showed up, but the church said it would not pick a fight with police and was open to a dialogue.

The service also streamed on the church’s YouTube channel. Churches across the state have been engaging in online services, including for Easter, since the middle of March. Read more here: Camden Diocese Cancels Services Due To Coronavirus

Over the weekend, the Archdiocese of Newark announced that its churches would be permitted to do a "phased reopening," which began Sunday and allowed for private prayer only. Read more here: Newark Archdiocese Announces Phased Catholic Church Reopening

On Monday, a gym in Bellmawr reopened in defiance of the orders, which the governor said were issued to promote social distancing and help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Read more here: South Jersey Gym Reopens In Defiance Of Gov. Phil Murphy's Orders

“This great land we call America is filled with millions of people who love the God given freedom that our forefathers fought to protect long ago,” Lapp said. “Despite our diversity, we have learned a common respect for our brothers and sisters while protecting the core principles of freedom. It makes me proud to see the many great citizens right here in New Jersey that have not just hit the streets, but provided key assistance to the organization of peaceful demonstrations of freedom. After hours of smartphone footage from our brave citizen journalists, I have yet to see poor behavior that did not come from the opposition. We as a church are truly blessed to be among the citizens of this great state, and we stand by to serve our community.”

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know