ELIZABETHTOWN — Outdoors or inside, Bladen County churches and all across North Carolina can resume services at their own risk to the coronavirus.

Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive order putting a restriction on houses of faith was overturned Saturday by a federal court in Greenville. Litigation was filed Thursday by two Baptist churches, a minister and a Christian revival group seeking to immediately block enforcement of rules covering religious services.

The Democratic governor’s latest order allowed services outdoors but largely prevented indoor services attended by more than 10 people. The langauge of his order was problematic, saying services could “take place outdoors unless impossible.” The definition of what causes “impossible” was immediately called into question by various organizations, including those representing law enforcement officers and Christians.

Cooper is a lawyer by trade, and the former state attorney general. The Associated Press has also reported he regularly attends church.

In repsonse to the decision, a spokesman for Cooper said in a release Saturday, “We don’t want indoor meetings to become hotspots for the virus and our health experts continue to warn that large groups sitting together inside for long periods of time are much more likely to cause the spread of COVID-19. While our office disagrees with the decision, we will not appeal, but instead urge houses of worship and their leaders to voluntarily follow public health guidance to keep their members safe.”

Plaintiffs said the limits Cooper put out violalted their rights to worship freely. The Rev. Ron Baity, pastor of Berean Baptist Church, said it was discrimination against the church. He and his church were plaintiffs, along with the group Return America.

Sheriffs, including in Cooper’s native Nash County, were growing in number saying they would have no part in the enforcement of the governor’s order. In addition to Nash’s Keith Stone, they included those in Johnston, Harnett, Halifax, Yancey, Craven and Mitchell counties — all of which issued statements on the matter.

Bladen County Sheriff Jim McVicker, a Republican, didn’t issue a statement but has said he supported the May 8 resolution by the N.C. Sheriffs’ Association urging Cooper to ease the restrictions on indoor worship services. The resolution, in part, said rules governing religious activities shouldn’t be more stringent than those that apply to businesses that are allowed to operate.

In its order, the court did say, “any person or group of people gathering to worship ‘should observe the Recommendations to Promote Social Distancing and Reduce Transmissions to the extent practicable.’”

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Alan Wooten

Bladen Journal

Alan Wooten can be reached at 910-247-9132 or awooten@bladenjournal.com. Twitter: @alanwooten19.