Reverend Tony Spell in the US has drawn criticism from many after a video of him calling on the public to donate their stimulus checks to evangelists who “haven’t had an offering in a month.”
Spell who is a pastor in Louisiana dubbed it the #PastorSpellStimulusChallenge and he is asking people to get on it.
There are three rules to the challenge, Spell said in the video. The first rule is that it starts on Sunday. The second, he said, is for people to “donate your stimulus money.”
“Rule number three,” he continued, is to “donate it to evangelists, North American evangelists who haven’t had an offering in a month; missionaries, who haven’t had an offering in a month; music ministers, who haven’t had an offering in a month.”
“I’m donating my entire stimulus, $1,200,” Spell added. “My wife is donating her stimulus, $1,200. My son is donating his stimulus, $600.”
Tony Spell | The Hill
This is coming after President Donald Trump’s administration recently gave out stimulus checks to individuals with income under $75,000 and married couples with income less than $150,000 can receive the full amounts of $1,200 per adult and $500 per child under legislation signed into law last month.
The stimulus checks are in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has affected the globe.
The pandemic has caused many governments to order a lockdown, as a result, churches across the country have either closed their doors or moved their services online.
Spell’s comments come as churches across the country have either closed their doors or moved their services online in efforts to comply with stay-at-home orders issued by states and federal guidelines urging people to avoid unnecessary travel and gatherings exceeding 10 people amid the pandemic.
This is not the first time that Spell is drawing criticism.
Late last month, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) issued a stay-at-home order directing residents to avoid large gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus.
Several days after Edwards issued the order, Spell was charged with misdemeanor summons for six counts of violating the mandate after refusing to discontinue in-person church service temporarily amid the pandemic.
He also drew headlines for announcing plans to hold a large service during Easter despite the outbreak, saying: “Satan and a virus will not stop us.”
The state has more than 22,500 cases, leading to more than 1,150 deaths as of Thursday, according to figures from the Louisiana’s health department.