A megachurch in Albuquerque is not enforcing the state’s public health order that requires individuals to wear masks indoors, and it's not the first time that Calvary Church and pastor Skip Heitzig have defied state orders.
In a Youtube video posted to the church’s channel, Heitzig, who is the senior pastor of the church, had this to say: "We will not be closing the doors of Calvary Church for any reason no matter what. The doors of Calvary Church will remain open to everyone, vaccinated and unvaccinated, masked and unmasked.”
KOAT reports that the church could be fined for refusing to enforce the state’s indoor mask mandate, which was reiterated in a public health announcement issued Aug. 17. This is not the first time that the church has been fined for an issue like this. The TV station also reported that Calvary Church was among those churches that were fined for Christmas Eve services where few individuals in the large crowds wore masks. Then, the fine was up to $5,000-10,000 for violating the mask mandate that was then in place, and another $5,000 for not limiting occupancy to 25% of the building’s capacity.
Heitzig’s stance on the mask mandate is not one that all area churches agree with. Dennis Dunn, who is the pastor of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, told KOAT that if you want to attend church, you should wear a mask.
“If you’re going to attend service on any given Sunday a mask is required,” Dunn said. “We believe that because of the science and because of our medical professionals and our parishioners who work the front lines every day. The Bible says out of Romans that we should obey the laws of our land as well as God’s laws, so not only are we keeping in mandate with the laws of the land, we’re keeping in mandate with God’s laws.”