Despite coronavirus, Monrovia church still met Sunday — but canceled evening service

Defying coronavirus-prompted orders to avoid gatherings, Calvary Road Baptist Church in Monrovia held its regular service in person Sunday morning –– but canceled all future services, including one planned for later that evening, after an online uproar.

The Sunday, March 29 morning service at the church, 319. W Olive Ave. — in the middle of a residential neighborhood — did not go unnoticed.

In a Monrovia-focused Facebook group, a member said she saw churchgoers shaking hands as they exited the morning service.

The post took off, with nearly 300 total comments from outraged Facebook users.

“This is not ok and should be reported,” responded Maria Scatena Vangilder. “Churches are supposed to be holding online services.”

By the end of the day, the church announced on its website and a sign on its door it would cancel all public services until further notice.

Church representatives did not respond to requests for comments. In a blog since removed from the church website, Pastor John Waldrip described efforts to minimize exposure — hand sanitizers at the entrances and disinfecting between services — but also called worship by livestreaming a “woefully inadequate substitute.”

Some Facebook commenters reached out to Mayor Tom Adams, informing him the church was continuing in-person services. But in a phone interview on Monday morning, Adams said he did not contact the church.

Lt. Sarah Covarrubias, a Monrovia Police Department watch commander, said the department did receive a complaint about the church on Sunday. By the time officers got to the church, however, no one was there, she said.

She also said the community policing team will be going to the church to discuss Los Angeles County’s “Safer at Home” mandate but could not confirm when officers would make it out there.

It wasn’t the first complaint the Police Department has received.

“So far, we’ve been lucky and people are complying with education. I’ve called and spoken to a couple of businesses, and they’ve complied,” Covarrubias said. “We’re just trying to educate people.”

Before Calvary Road church leaders canceled all public services, they tried to keep socially distanced in-person services. According to a March 24 Facebook post from the church’s account, services in the building were spread out among various rooms to maintain 10 people per room. Per L.A. County’s “Safer at Home” mandate, gatherings with more than 10 people are prohibited.

The post also advised not to hug or shake hands and that members should frequently use hand sanitizer.

The church also runs Calvary Road Baptist Academy, a private K-12 school. In a Facebook post from its account, in-person classes were canceled until March 27. In a Facebook message to this newsgroup last week, the school was still “discussing” if in-person classes would resume.

Further messages and calls to the school were unanswered.

In the now-removed blog post, Waldrip urged: “Exercise your own judgment concerning your attendance, recognizing that God places a premium on wisdom and that while attendance may promise spiritual benefit, it does so at the risk of exposure and infection.”

The church will continue to stream its services online, according to its website.

Staff writer Ruby Gonzales contributed to this report.