Virginia church sues governor over Stay at Home Order

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 27, 2020 / 05:00 pm MT (CNA).- A small church in Virginia has filed a lawsuit against the governor of the commonwealth, after a pastor received a summons for hosting a Palm Sunday service with 16 people. Lawyers for the pastor say the church serves poor people, many of whom live without internet, and that the state’s Stay at Home Order disproportionately impacts the poor, and churches that serve them. Pastor Kevin Wilson of Lighthouse Fellowship Church in Chincoteague, Virginia, faces up to one year in prison or up to $2,500 in fines for violating the state’s Stay at Home order. The order, which was issued on March 30, stated, among other things “All public and private in-person gatherings of more than ten individuals are prohibited.” Wilson’s Palm Sunday service was held on April 5, after the state’s stay at home order was issued. During the service, a police officer came into the church, and informed the worshippers that "they could not have more than 10…