Kentucky pastor plans to hold Easter service despite governor's orders

With many churches now looking to hold Easter services remotely and keeping their doors closed, a Kentucky pastor who held service on Palm Sunday is doubling down.

Maryville Baptist Reverend Jack Roberts posted on Facebook questioning why Walmart, Lowe’s and Home Depot are deemed essential but churches are not.

“I’ve had cancer five times so I’m not worried about this virus,” Roberts told WAVE 3 News on Sunday. “If you’re so worried about it, let the doctor walk up to you and tell you five times you’ve got cancer. I should not be here if it wasn’t for God.”

Governor Andy Beshear over the weekend mentioned several known instances in Kentucky of people contracting the coronavirus at church.

According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Roberts said he has no plans to comply with an order from the Bullitt County Health Department to cancel Easter Sunday Services and he says he won't pay any fines imposed on him for breaking the rules.

Roberts also reportedly told the Louisville Courier-Journal that he had been in contact with an unnamed Christian organization who planned to file a lawsuit against the Beshear administration over the order.