Some Faith Leaders Defiant, Others Transparent Over COVID-19 Outbreaks

The day after the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced an outbreak at Calvary Baptist Church in Sanford, Pastor Todd Bell stood at his pulpit for in-person service.

The state was in the middle of tracing a "super-spreader wedding event" and investigating whether Calvary Baptist was linked. After members of the church's choir stood shoulder to shoulder on stage and sang, unmasked, Bell turned his attention to the outbreak. He railed against public health officials for intervening in the church's affairs.

"You're looking at a liberty lover!" Bell told the congregation. "I — love — liberty. And I want the people of God to enjoy liberty!"