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A mega-church in Tulsa, Oklahoma canceled a “Friendsgiving” event, for which it initially encouraged members to bring a neighbor and sparked outrage on social media, deciding to donate instead. boxed meals to those in need amid the rise of the Covid-19 cases in the state.
In a statement to NBC News, the church said it was not holding the annual Friendsgiving, although it was not immediately clear when the decision to change the event was made. The church calendar still contained a “Friendsgiving” event and local reports said Victory Church’s Facebook recently announced the event.
As of Sunday afternoon, NBC News did not see a post advertising the “Friendsgiving” event on the church’s Facebook page. It was not known whether it had been changed or deleted.
“We did not have the Friendsgiving event today which we do every year. This year we changed it and we gave lunch boxes with turkeys, hams and dry products for those who have it. needed to get them home and prepare for their families, ”Daniel Henshaw, the director of operations for Victory Church said in an email to NBC News.
Henshaw said that this year alone, the church has distributed more than 13 million meals.
“Those in our community who rely on us the most always know they can find help here at Victory,” Henshaw said.
In a separate statement, Henshaw said the church is still running services this weekend “in accordance with operating guidelines at 50% of our shrine’s capacity, signage for social distancing and masking, cleaning and additional disinfection of our facilities and hand disinfection stations. throughout. “
“As a church in our community, we are here to serve those who choose to walk through our doors, but we also offer our services online for members or families who choose to watch from home,” Henshaw said.
Victory Church has recently come under fire for its massive indoor events, with some people tweeting that the church “should be ashamed of itself.”
“You should be ashamed of yourself. People are going to die because you made earning money your priority in your little Jesus concerts over people’s lives in a global pandemic,” one person tweeted, accompanied by a photo of an event at the church.
Photos of recent church events, including a concert on Tuesday where around 2,500 people were in attendance, according to The Kansas City Star, posted on platforms like Twitter appear to show hundreds of people, squeezed into the building, without masks or faces. . coatings.
Local rules in Tulsa require that gatherings with 500 or more attendees must submit a Covid-19 safety plan for approval to the Tulsa health department two weeks before the event.
“I understand that we are all trying to do our part. We are, as a church, but we are a church. We’re not going to reject people and kick them out because they take off their masks, ”Victory Church pastor Paul Daugherty told NBC News affiliate KJRH of the concert.
As of Saturday, there were just under 5,000 active cases of Covid-19 in Tulsa County, according to the Tulsa health department. There were 31,413 active cases statewide in Oklahoma on Saturday, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
This month, Tulsa reported some of its highest daily case totals since the start of the pandemic, according to the Star.
With cases on the rise, angry Oklahomans have taken to social media to chastise the church for its actions.
“I am disappointed that measures, even basic safety standards, are not being followed … I miss the church and I also wish I could worship and feel close to others … but I afraid of getting sick or making someone else sick. God is not impressed with it. It’s a shame ”, another wrote.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that this Thanksgiving, Americans avoid travel if possible. If attending a Thanksgiving celebration, the CDC recommends that attendees all wear masks and stay six feet from each other. Additionally, the CDC recommends rather than coming together in person, those celebrating Thanksgiving do so virtually to prevent the spread of the virus.
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