Rocklin church defies California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order by holding indoor service
Pastor Greg Fairrington prayed for Gavin Newsom during a fiery sermon Sunday while acting in defiance of the California governor’s public health order prohibiting indoor worship.
Fairrington, the lead pastor at Destiny Christian Church in Rocklin, told his south Placer County congregation they were engaged in a spiritual battle between good and evil. He said the church has been called to fight the government for the right to worship freely, free of persecution and without restriction, even in the clutches of a global pandemic.
“Here we are in this moment right now and I believe that God is giving this church in this moment a greater anointing than we have ever had before,” Fairrington said in his sermon, which was streamed live on the church’s website. “I believe that God is giving us an apostolic influence in this region. … I believe our call is to get the church ready for an outpouring, to get the church ready for an awakening, but God is giving us right now in this moment a rude awakening before he gives us the great awakening, and for some reason God is using Destiny as a hub.”
Fairrington generated headlines last week when he took to social media to announce his church would not comply with Newsom’s latest order, which closed bars, restaurants, movie theaters and other businesses in 29 counties because of a surge in coronavirus cases. The governor’s move also prohibited indoor church services. Fairrington vowed to fight instead.
Fairrington said he has been criticized by “the haters” in recent days, but he said others have thanked and applauded him. The church announced Saturday night it had created an outdoor venue with hundreds of additional seats in response to overwhelming community support.
“It’s awesome to be outdoors worshiping with you,” Fairrington said. “It’s also awesome to be indoors worshiping together and all of you online. We have gotten letters all week, emails, encouraging us all around our nation, and I know there are people watching all around the world.”
Fairrington started his service on the outdoor stage and then moved inside to deliver his sermon. He referred to a story published in The Sacramento Bee last week while explaining the indoor gathering was more than an act of defiance.
“God has not called us to be defiant for the sake of being defiant,” Fairrington said. “I read an article. It came out … Tuesday or Wednesday. It came out in The Bee: ‘Pastor defies governor’s orders.’
“Listen to me,” Fairrington said. “If all we are is defying and being defiant, we are wasting our time. Our call, our mission, is to pull heaven down into Earth. That’s our call. That’s why we are in this room. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. That might mean that we’re going to have to go into the enemy’s camp and that might mean that the church might have to camp themselves right next to the Gates of Hell. Here we are in this moment right now and I believe that God is giving this church in this moment a greater anointing than we have ever had before. I believe that God is giving us an apostolic influence in this region.”
About 500 people attended the 9 a.m. service, according to church officials. They said there were about 375 inside the 1,500-seat church — 25 percent of capacity — and 215 more seated outside beneath the giant white crosses that tower over Highway 65. Hundreds were lined up in front of the church shortly after 8:30 a.m., many without masks and most standing within inches of each other.
Tanner Dibella, the church’s marketing and communications director, said masks would be provided to those who needed them, social distancing guidelines would be observed inside and outside, and families would be seated six feet apart. Dibella said each row of seats in the outdoor venue would be separated by six feet and each family group would be separated by three open seats.
The Bee could not independently verify information provided by the church. Reporters were not allowed to observe the indoor or outdoor services. They were asked to wait outside in a designated area and were not permitted to speak to congregants.
“If the church doesn’t understand its role right now in this culture, we’re going to be labeled as a community organization and then we are labeled as nonessential,” Fairrington said. “When the government says this is when and how you worship, they don’t see us as a house of God. When Governor Newsom was asked, ‘Why can’t churches open?’ His response was this: ‘Because churches are high risk and low reward.’ Apparently he doesn’t know what the church is all about because we are essential.”
Fairrington previously said he is planning to run for governor in 2022. He said Sunday he would welcome a conversation with Newsom.
“I’m not fighting against our governor,” Fairrington said. “God bless our governor. Be with our governor. Show him your goodness. Show him your kindness. Lord, God bless him and his children and his family.”
Fairrington then reasserted that the church must push back against government regulations. He cited scripture, explaining to his followers how the gospel of Matthew, the Book of Romans and the evils of Queen Jezebel can be interpreted in light of current events.
“Do you understand why the church can’t be passive?” he said. “I’ve been trying to teach you the true nature of the church is predatory. We’re not the prey. We are to be the ones who are taking ground. You have to understand. We are seeing like we’ve never seen before a spiritual battle between good and evil and it’s being manifest right in front of our eyes.”
A group of people from the Recall Gavin Newsom campaign gathered down the street from the church, waving signs and collecting signatures. Roseville resident Jami Areia noted there have been fewer than 1,400 COVID-19 cases in Placer County and 11 deaths, according to county health officials.
“We have a governor in effect who is making executive orders, who is not following the numbers in the county,” Areia said. “He’s shutting down people’s counties, their businesses, controlling whether their kids go to school, when they go to school, where they can go to school, and he’s not following the numbers.
“We’re not getting a fair deal on this. People’s business are being greatly impacted by it and our freedoms are being compromised, and so as an American and as a resident of California and Placer County, I think that the people need to have a say instead of just one man dictating and governing what happens to 40 million people. He does not have that power.”
Petitioners said they were not affiliated with the church, but they supported the church’s right to assemble.
“If you want to go to church, go to church,” Areia said. “If you want to wear a mask, wear a mask, but those people who don’t have the same freedoms and liberties.”
As of Sunday, nearly 3.7 million people had contracted the coronavirus in the United States and more than 139,000 had died as a result of COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Areia believes the number of illnesses and deaths are being inflated locally and nationally. At one point during his sermon, Fairrington said he believed the public was being misled as well.
“One plus one is two, but you’re trying to convince me that one plus one is 10,” he said. “‘Oh, come on pastor, preach the bible.’ OK, I will preach the bible: Romans Chapter 1, Verse 25, those who exchanged the truth of God for a lie. There are people who are exchanging the truth and lying and saying one plus one is 10. I’m sorry. I don’t buy the math. I’m not going to believe the lie. One plus one is two and I believe the word of God.”
This story was originally published July 19, 2020 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Rocklin church defies California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order by holding indoor service."
