Page 7 - Testify 15 Oct 2020

15 - 30 October 2020 7
Police attend church after a member of the public raised

concerns about the number of worshippers and

coronavirus restrictions By Tobi Macauley

Police officers turned up and
wrongly accused a church in Bir-
mingham of flouting the coronavi-
rus restriction rules after a member
of the public made a call reporting
a large number of vehicles and
people attending the house of
worship.

The officer entered Rock New
Testament Church of God at Spring
Hill and claimed that the church
had allowed too many worshippers,
only to find out that it was a false
accusation, as the number of peo-
ple inside was well within assessed
limits.
The leadership and members of
the church are furious about the
manner in which the police turned
up and falsely accused the church
of flouting the COVID-19 rules. shippers sit in household groups
and obey social distancing rules,
According to Birmingham Mail, while the church also has separate
the head of the church, Bishop entrances and exits, hand sanitis-
Jonathan Jackson said, “We work ers and strict cleaning regimes - all
hard day and night, I can’t sleep set out in line with guidance from
worrying about all of these chang- the city’s public health team.
es... and the disrespectful police
in Birmingham can do this in the The church can normally hold up to
middle of our service and can come 500 people, but under COVID-19
in ready to drill us without even rules this has been limited to up
knowing the rules.” to 150 people for congregational
worship only.
Bishop Jackson said the church
had battled to ensure that every West Midlands Police said the
worshipper was kept safe and officers who visited the church, in
every coronavirus rule is stringent- uniform, attended following a call
ly followed before reopening its from a member of the public about
services. a ‘large number’ of vehicles at the
site. It said no issues or breaches
Visitors to the church get their were found.
temperature checked on entry, wor-