A Louisiana pastor who defied public health officials by bussing in over 1,800 to attend his Sunday service may face jail time for his actions.
Pastor Tony Spell is the leader of the Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he regularly preaches about the evils of homosexuality and speaks in tongues. Two weeks ago, he drew widespread criticism for bussing in 1,825 people to attend his Sunday morning service.
Despite being warned by the governor and public health officials not to do that ever again, Spell ignored their orders and continued leading services several days a week. Just yesterday, he held a special Tuesday night service that dozens and dozens of people attended.
Now, Spell is being charged with six misdemeanor counts of disobeying the powers of the governor for defying the state’s ban on public gatherings in response to the coronavirus crisis.
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“Instead of showing the strength and resilience of our community during this difficult time, Mr. Spell has chosen to embarrass us for his own self-promotion,” Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran says in a statement.
Earlier today, Chief Roger Corcoran with Central Police Department issued Mark Anthony Spell, (Aka: Tony Spell), Pastor…
Posted by Central Police Department on Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Spell maintains that the best way to handle a pandemic by trusting in the healing hand of Jesus and he’s promised that if anyone who attends his service contracts COVID-19 he, personally, will heal them.
“I’m going to address that by laying hands on them and praying for them and depending on God to heal their body,” Spell told local media in an interview.
Speaking to CNN, he said that opening his to church to thousands of people on a weekly basis is no more dangerous than people shopping at grocery stores.
“I’ve heard from God, and I will continue to do what I am doing!” Spell insists.
“Mr. Spell will have his day in court where he will be held responsible for his reckless and irresponsible decisions that endangered the health of his congregation and our community,” Corcoran says.
Louisiana has seen the fastest growing rate of coronavirus infections in the world, with more than 5,000 cases and 239 deaths as of Tuesday, its deadliest day so far.
Related: Antigay preacher sued for selling fake coronavirus cure
Jim
Lock him up!
Cam
“Spell maintains that the best way to handle a pandemic by trusting in the healing hand of Jesus and he’s promised that if anyone who attends his service contracts COVID-19 he, personally, will heal them.”
This isn’t about religion, he is making a claim “Come here, pay to join the service, I will heal you” That is a contract for services.
Enough with tolerating this B.S.
Police should bring him somebody with a disease. When he can’t heal them, indict him for criminal fraud.
Tempus
I’m not sure if I’m more irritated with this “pastor” who put a spell on his congregation or these morons for listening to him. I live in a religious area, grew up in a religious household, have my own beliefs, etc. so I can understand people needing faith right now yet at the same time common sense is something God expects people to have. Not to mention this man doesn’t say God will heal you as much as he will heal them which is something I’d love to see. I’d pay money to see this guy be in close proximity with those with COVID-19 with no protection as he obviously is immune so he doesn’t need any and I’d love to see “heal” these people. Sadly he can argue religious and faith reasons for his actions along with the fact he didn’t force anyone to attend meaning legally he can probably avoid any truly serious trouble despite the health risks he exposed those people to under the grounds that they’d be healed by his hands.
Harley
Grifters gotta grift. That’s nothing more than unadulterated greed.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
These abhorrent pernicious smcubags are nothing more than carnival Barker snake oil hucksters. They simply want to continue their extravagant lifestyles paid by the ignorant lemming-like hate-filled followers.
We should take solace in the fact that these “Christians” are all destined to be smited by God to spend eternity burning in darkest corners of Hell
Josh in OR
Yet again, religion is proven to be a cancer.
This man is a grifter, a huckster, a scam artist draining the bank accounts of the gullible in Jesus’ name.
And because reality is pretty much a ‘Worst of…’ collection of events anymore, I bet no one in his congregation gets sick and he trumpets to the high heavens how he was right and science was wrong and give him more money…
woodroad34
what about those 1,825 jerks who collaborated with him by getting on those buses in violation of those restrictions. Willing to get infected and spread the disease among their fellow congregants–real christian law-abiding sociopaths.
Larry
Attempted, premeditated murder is now a misdemeanor?
Brian
My eyes just rolled out the front door.
Mister P
He needs to pass the collection plate. That’s all he cares about
boymikefl
Ignorant people need to follow. Be a leader. Nearly 50% still follow trump. Never in my life will I understand. These are followers. People that hang with Republicans are too scared to speak up. Not Republican Ana Navaro.
boymikefl
Why am I hearing Gilbert Godfrey’s voice when I look at his picture?
Jared MacBride
Sadly, he may beat the rap. He’ll claim he has a constitutional right to meet. A rural LA jury probably sides with with. Very sad.
Den
It is very clear, and well established legally that public health directives, especially federal ones, override the right to free assembly. Quarantine, both at home and in institutions and forced/observed medication have been litigated many times.
The con man has no case.
djmcgamester
I’ve heard some churches have figured a different option: Zoom. They set it up and churchgoers who are interested can hear from their priest/pastor/minister/whatever. It’s the most socially responsible thing that can be done, especially when people turn to their churches is times like these.
GayVeteranOfcr
PRESCRIPTION FOR REDUCING SUCH SO-CALLED RELIGIOUS IDIOTS.
This one gathers all of his zealous flock as candidates for Darwin Award – the most awkward style of killing oneself through stupidity.
Facts don’t bother with religious beliefs.
Toss their ideas 180 and consider whether or not God would approve of such a religious leader having the temerity of presuming that God listens to that person and that God would save those people just because of their false beliefs.
Think of it carefully – the leader committed the sin of pride – of thinking he could affect God or that he knew God’s Will.
Following the Beatitudes – Book of Matthew in particular, especially Matthew 6:6, the leader should have counseled his flock to pray in private, in humility, in seclusion from all others, as befit a pious person, not a sideshow scam artist.
DennisBTR
I live about fifteen miles from this cult – I mean church. I am also familiar with the Spell family going back to the 1970s when his relatives were right wing nut case Pentecostals, just as he his.
The article is a bit confusing – Spell was issued summons on Tuesday for six previous gatherings. On the same Tuesday night, (after being issued the summons) he held another service. It remains to be seen if he will be cited again. Quite frankly, he is a danger to society and should be locked up until he has his day in court. The summons all carry possible jail time. Let’s hope he is found guilty and the court actually sends him to jail.
A new twist is the Roy Moore (of Alabama) is going to an “adviser” and “represent” “Reverend” Spell. Go figure – anything to get attention and make a buck.
nitejonboy
It’s bad enough that this is happening in my state, Louisiana, but the thing this article glosses over is the fact that Tuesday they DID arrest him, issued him his warrants and summons to appear in court later, fingerprinted him, THEN LET HIM GO….and he told them he was going to do it again that night!!! AND HE DID!!! They should have kept him in jail, figured out some reason to keep him there, last night god hows many more people were exposed, and you all can laugh and say ” morons, they deserve it “, but you’re not thinking of all the poor innocent people who are going to catch it when they bump into these people,who may be their family or somehow have to spend time with them even with social distancing..I am severely health compromised due to a heart attack and diabetes even though I’ve lost a ton of weight and am doing much better but if I got sick I’d still be done for, and I just worry about all those innocent people in my state who will die because of this madman, my state does not deserve the bad rap we are getting because of this moron!! It’s a shame he hasn’t caught it and died yet, he needs to to get this to stop.
Dez
Of course he wants to keep preaching, his religion is a virus itself.
gaym50ish
He “bussed” them? That means he kissed them. The word is “bused.”