By Debra Tash and George Miller
Newbury Park- July 26th, 2020- In opposition to Governor Newsom’s mandate to cease all in-person indoor religious services, Pastor Rob McCoy opened Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newbury Park for worship. The church was full with hundreds of congregants, especially at the 9am session where people were turned away at the door. Some had traveled from as far as Santa Barbara to attend. McCoy had informed congregants, along with a large online following on his Saturday Night Fireside Chat, that he had been warned by County Health Director Rego Vargas that Godspeak could be shuttered for continuing its in-person services.
McCoy refused to back down. The pastor received a standing ovation from the congregation when he summed up his defiance of Newsom’s edict, “You don’t have a right to shut down our churches and let Marxists run amok in our cities.”
Health Director Vargas warned McCoy that the County would have to take action against Godspeak for holding services. That action could entail fines or cutting off the water and power to the church. McCoy had a warning for Vargas in return. He said that the church wanted to be “left alone to worship our God but the gloves would be off” if the County and State proceeded with this suppression of their First Amendment rights. McCoy would go to the national press and the optics would be bad for the government. Godspeak may lose in the courts but not in the arena of public opinion. He’s done with enslaving the church with false data regarding COVID-19. He let Rego know that he was his friend and that he would pray for the health officer.
The Pastor had served on the Thousand Oaks City Council and did one term as Mayor. During his tenure he came to know people who worked for the County. McCoy understands that the governor will likely withhold state and federal funds if Ventura County doesn’t tow the line. He also understands history and the American foundation. Many preachers rely on the biblical Book of Romans:13 saying it gives the government authority over its citizens. McCoy counters that three words in the preamble to the constitution give citizens all the authority they need. It says, “We the People.” Those who govern govern by the citizens’ consent. Furthermore the Declaration of Independence is a document for all humanity, giving people the right to resist unjust rulers and their edicts. Liberty is not man’s idea but God’s idea.
Pastor McCoy angrily denounced ANTIFA being allowed to run wild and burn cities while government closes churches. We are dealing with ideology, he warned. Forces seek to enslave us. We contend for liberty. Many of us have lost that concept. The church is not simply for preaching. People don’t think the scripture speaks to life, but it does. God brought law so we know how to live, not just pray. Many churches are avoiding that. So cities burn now.
Surfers and skateboarders get that more than pastors, he remarked. “You’re not taking my liberty duuude,” he quipped, referring to a pair of infamous resisted arrest incidents during the months- long COVID-19 lockdown nightmare. You’ve gone too far, Governor Newsolini, he warned.
He confessed that he doesn’t know what to do about this unprecedented combination of circumstances: an exaggerated pandemic, the overblown reaction to it with catastrophic restrictions and economic consequences and throttling of church worship. All the while, sworn Marxists and America-haters seem relatively unchecked as they run wild and seek to destroy us. Re-establishing church activities and seeking to defend themselves is a start. Educating congregants and the public in relevant Christian principles and how to use them to affect government will follow. How is still to be determined.
After McCoy took the congregation through a study of the book of Acts, he closed by saying that Director Rego Vargas wasn’t his enemy, nor is anyone on earth his enemy, they are an opportunity. The nation is at a critical time in our history. We face a Marxist revolution.
Beverly Wurts, one of our citizen reporter wrote and provided several photos taken by friends: “This reporter was in the Godspeak church parking lot after they interviewed Pastor McCoy. As I left church this morning I noticed there were no protesters like there were the week before. Also there wasn’t a confrontation with city officials but only hundreds of God-loving worshipers entering the church.”
WATCH the Livestream of the 11am service:
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George Miller is Publisher/Co-Founder of CitizensJournal.us and a “retired” operations management consultant residing in Oxnard.
Beverly Wurts is a citizen reporter who lives in Newbury Park
Debra Tash is Editor-in-Chief of Citizensjournal.us, past president for Citizens Alliance for Property Rights, business executive and award-winning author, residing in Somis.
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What the scientists all know, and you can find as well with a scant amount of research and some third grade logic, is that NO mask will stop a virus. Viruses are too small, and the relatively gaping holes in the fibers in ANY mask you choose to wear are too large to stop them- making them completely ineffective. The only sheep in this scenario are those who blindly follow and worship the state. This hasn’t been a medical issue for months- it’s been a political one and that’s how it remains………. Scientific malpractice is the issue. Only the truly scientifically illiterate think otherwise.
Three things:
1. Pastor McCoy is blameless here. He is exercising nullification of unconstitutional government orders as a pastor – since it was never possible for him to do it in California politics. Yet he still has more leverage than the average Ventura County citizen or pastor.
2. The church regulars and visitors are also blameless. The State of California is PROHIBITING them and Pastor McCoy from peaceably assembling to freely exercise the religion of Christianity. Yet >Ventura County is failing to nullify< the state's denials of these human rights clearly written in the Constitution.
3. The longer Pastor McCoy and the church laity peaceably nullify state government tyranny in the stead of local government, the LESS able the media will be to ignore the injustices being done to them. Remember that.
Has William been under a rock. The scientific information is evolving. They call this a novel virus because it is new and unstudied. I think the only thing that wasn’t publicized early enough was wearing masks. Pretty sure it was deliberate because of the shortage of PPE for first responders. From a Public Health perspective it was the correct call.
SUE, I may ask the same question of you. It is not like we have NO information on this virus, it’s what are we doing with that information.
If we’re tracking those identified with the virus, certainly it could be determined IF any parishoners of God Speak have come down in high numbers of the virus.
IS THAT NOT A QUESTION WORTH ASKING?
McCoy is not even requiring masks or social distancing inside. He has provided NO reason why he cannot hold services outside as many other churches are doing.
Signed DO NOT HOSPITALIZE, DO NOT RESUSCITATE pledges need to be collected from all participants of indoor church gatherings. If you don’t believe in medical guidance on disease prevention, let you Lord cure you. Don’t clog up hospitals and use first responders time and efforts.
LET’S HOLD ON THAT SUGGESTION, SUSAN.
ONE QUESTION….. Is there ANY verifiable evidence that ANY parishioner of God Speak has active COVID-19 and could spreading it before we sign off on medical aide?
Except for long term care homes and a few workplaces effective casefinding precludes publishing the suspected location of Covid infections. Patient confidentiality is maintained.
I don’t know about God and covid. But I do know that many American’s are deficient in Vitamin D. Vitamin D is a hormone. We get it from sunlight exposure. There is a clear connection between staying covid FREE and adequate vitamin D in your blood. Be safe, get 20 minutes or more of sunlight per day or supplement with Vitamin D. If you have a darker complexion you need MORE sun exposure, this is what nature has designed. African American people are particularly at risk.
I thought conservatives told us Covid-19 was no big deal??? Yet a new study published in a major heart journal says 78% of survivors who had only very mild cases have permanent heart damage.
https://theweek.com/speedreads/927908/even-mild-coronavirus-cases-cause-lasting-cardiovascular-damage-study-shows
QUESTION JOHN…..Was it before or after exposure to COVID-19 that they had “permanent heart damage”?
Read more carefully next time. After exposure.
“He let [County Health Director] Rego know that he was his friend and that he would pray for the health officer.”
Pastor McCoy can fill only >one< of these two roles.
"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," –Matthew 5:43-44 (Jesus speaking)
Tough love and friendship are not the same, folks.
OK, a little semantic’s that are great for those that are “letter of the law” while ignoring the spirit of the law.
I believe In God and don’t need a building to worship God. Jesus is in my heart. We need to take care of each other. How is exposing others to potentially getting a virus, caring for others. How irresponsible!
SURE Sara. I would agree with you if you have any symptoms or are among the “at risk” portion of the population.
Before there is a decision benefitting demonstrators over church gatherings, lets be sure that the demonstrators aren’t the real spreaders of the virus.
McCoy is a scientific illiterate disgrace, His priority number one is politics, God is priority two.
Just this morning 40 Covid infections were reported from another church gathering in Alabama.
John
AND, THE SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS DON’T SEEM TO BE ABLE TO MAKE UP THEIR MINDS OF CAUSE AND CURE.
That makes McCoy even more irresponsible. Extra caution is needed until the disease is well understood.