Another California Megachurch Is Not With The Program

Over the weekend, I found out about a fourth megachurch in Southern California that's been holding indoor services without social distance since the summer. This is Awaken Church in San Diego County. Last week, San Diego County health authorities issued advisories warning that the three campuses of the church had had a COVID "outbreak".

According to the church's pastor, Jurgen Matthesius. the county was anything but transparent. According to the link,

Matthesius said the advisory didn’t inform the church how many people tested positive as part of the outbreak, or even who they were. Awaken Church later found out it was just three people.

Pastor Matthesius said 2,800 people call the Balboa campus “home,” and that he doesn’t know how just three people can constitute an outbreak at his church.

Another version differs, but not by much:

As of Thursday, the three church outbreaks constitute 65 COVID-19 cases.

Whether it's three cases at one campus or 65 at all three, we're talking about what appear to be positive tests only, with no symptoms, out of thousands. California health authorities have been very broad in using the term "outbreak" elsewhere. At least in Los Angeles County, three cases can constitute an "outbreak" if in someone's judgment that's what it is. The LA County Health Department found three cases at Grace Community Church, and the LA Times crusaded against the church for its "outbreak".

According to the Times' own report, there have only been three confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley.

Jenna Ellis, the attorney representing MacArthur and his church, said in a statement, "Three very mild positive tests among more than 7,000 people is hardly news. 0.0004 or 0.043% is not an 'outbreak.' The L.A. Times and others' grossly misleading and fear-mongering headlines aim to mischaracterize Grace Community Church as irresponsible and a superspreader."

The county was forced to issue an announcement rescinding the designation:

We are glad to announce that we received a notice from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Thursday, November 12, saying that we have been cleared of COVID-19 outbreak. After a thorough investigation, Public Health officials have decided to rescind all outbreak related requirements and restrictions on Grace Community Church.

On one hand, this follows the pattern of moral panics, in which moral entrepreneurs, in this case the county health department, worked in concert with media to spread hysteria. Apparently under legal threat, the county was forced to back down.

But on the other hand, megachurch worship services, where thousands assemble indoors without masks, don't social distance, and even shake hands and hug at the peace, actually result in very few infections, whether it's three in two individual cases, or 65 in parishes countywide.

Los Angeles County, for instance, has had 450,000 "cases" in a population of 3.99 million, which gives a case rate of 0.1%. The case rate at Grace Community Church, according to Jenna Ellis, is 0.043%, less than half the county rate. I would guess that similar studies of case rates for churchgoers in just about any denomination would be roughly equivalent -- your chances of being infected at church, even indoors and without a mask, are less thn half your chances of being infected doing anything else.

The first thing that comes to mind is that from a Christian perspective, going to church regularly is a habit of virtue, which leads to prudence. Leaving anything else aside, wouldn't developing prudent habits lead to general better health? Why would a health department discourage this?