Pastor Tony Spell of the Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana allegedly backed a church bus towards an individual protesting Spell’s services at his church during the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday, causing the Central Police Department to issue a warrant for Spell’s arrest on Monday.
Spell has previously raised controversy because of his response to coronavirus in his area, which has gone against stay-at-home orders issued by Governor John Bel Edwards.
Spell allegedly drove a bus in reverse toward Trey Bennett, who has protested services during the coronavirus pandemic at Life Tabernacle Church before. While the governor’s executive order placed a ban on public gatherings of over 10 people, Spell claims to have had over 1,000 people attend worship at the church while the order has been active.
Newsweek reached out to the Life Tabernacle Church for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
“[Bennett] has been in front of my church driveway for three weeks now,” Spell told WAFB in a Monday phone interview. “He shoots people obscene finger gestures and shouts vulgarities.” Bennett denied the allegations.
After Spell’s Easter service, Bennett told a Baton Rouge news website that holding a large gathering was the same as “incubating the coronavirus.”
“These people are coming from five different parishes,” Bennett told BRProud in April. “People that live near me go to this church and I don’t want to get coronavirus. I know people have the right to assemble and normally the freedom of religion but right now it’s imperative we don’t.”
Spell has been dismissive of the coronavirus, even after a member of his church died from complications of the virus. After a coroner’s confirmation of the cause of death Spell said, “That is a lie.”
Claiming the coronavirus was “not a concern,” Spell said the virus was “politically motivated.”
“We hold our religious rights dear and we are going to assemble no matter what someone says,” Spell said in March.
Church attorney Jeff Wittenbrink has also contracted coronavirus. Although it is unclear where Wittenbrink contracted the virus, he had been present for two events at the church in April.
“I went to Albertson’s twice a day,” Wittenbring told The Advocate. “I went to Sam’s. I went to Walmart. I went to Lowe’s. I used the gas pumps. I mean I just wasn’t careful. God knows where I got it.”
“The bad thing is I might have spread it to somebody,” Wittenbrink added. “I feel bad about that.”
On Wednesday, Spell also challenged people to donate their coronavirus relief plan stimulus checks to “North American evangelists who haven’t had an offering in a month” and foreign missionaries.
Although churches and missionaries are eligible for the Payment Protection Program set forth by the U.S. Government, Spell told CNN Sunday that he was not interested in receiving the payments.
“We don’t want SBA [Small Business Administration] money,” Spell said. “We don’t want the government to give us a dime. We are happy to provide for ourselves.”
Chief Corcoran said in a March statement that Spell was responsible for making “reckless and irresponsible decisions that endangered the health of his congregation and our community. Instead of showing the strength and resilience of our community during this difficult time, Mr. Spell has chosen to embarrass us for his own self-promotion.”
