'I understand that a lot of people don't understand why it is so important to us, but as believers, we assemble together and these people have discouragement and depression and problems, including economic problems. They want to be with their pastors,' Solid Rock Baptist Church Pastor Charles Clark
Clark added that the bathrooms were sanitized after each use and the auditorium is filled with Hepa filters that filter the air in the room every three hours.
"The First Amendment puts religion at the front of the line. Governor Murphy has taken us out of the line. The NJ Constitution also guarantees our religious liberty. The governor cannot oppress religion," Clark said in the email. The decision to reopen Solid Rock Baptist Church came shortly after President Donald Trump pushed for the reopening of churches across the country.
In New Jersey, Murphy has never deemed churches and other places of worship as nonessential, but in March the state prohibited gatherings of more than 10 people in an effort to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, forcing churches and houses of worship across the state to close down or hold services online. On Friday, Murphy increased the number of people allowed for an indoor gathering to 25.
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