Patience with Bethel Church leadership waning after inconsistent messages on COVID-19 – Record Searchlight

Worshippers came to Redding's Sundial Bridge on July 22, 2020. The crowd put the community 'at risk' for COVID-19, Shasta County health officials say. Redding Record Searchlight

At least two Shasta County supervisors are losing their patience with the leadership at Bethel Church over its messaging amid the recent COVID-19 outbreak at its School of Supernatural Ministry.

At Thursdays special board meeting, Supervisors Les Baugh and Leonard Moty said the tipping point for them came this week, when they learned Kris Vallotton, a church leader who co-founded the evangelical school, hosted a large family outdoor wedding last weekend in Shingletown.

The wedding also came up at Tuesdays regular board meeting.

Im not convinced theyre really hearing (us), said Baugh, a pastor at Anderson Community Church in Anderson.

Supervisor Moty, you mentioned the wedding (Tuesday) and I didnt know at the time the wedding actually had been a personal wedding of one of the leaders of the Bethel community, and I do say, as a community, thats wrong. That should not have happened, Baugh said on Thursday.

Supervisor Les Baugh(Photo: Mike Chapman/Record Searchlight)

Moty on Thursday said he was happy to see the School of Supernatural Ministry worked with health officials to help stop the outbreak among its students and staff.

And then, quite frankly, I was very dismayed by this event, and one of their leaders of their church, (who is) very familiar with the (COVID-19) situation, has a very large wedding event there, Moty said. From what I understand, size-wise, (it) could have maybe have been legal if they would have social distanced and wore masks ... but they did nothing of the sort.

Moty said it clearly sent the wrong message.

Supervisor Leonard Moty(Photo: Andreas Fuhrmann)

During Thursdays meeting to consider opting out of the states COVID-19 color-coded tier system, many of the public speakers blamed Bethel and the county for its failure to hold the church accountable for the surge in cases.

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Supervisor Joe Chimenti pointed out the megachurch, with its 11,000 members, is hugely influential in the community and the leadership's actions matter. Combined, the church and its subsidiaries, like Bethel Music, Bethel Media and the School of Supernatural Ministry, are one of the largest employers in Shasta County.

I think theyre a large influencer in so many positive ways in the community, that this is a real opportunity for them to step up and show some leadership in terms of how they can help us as a community come together because as we know, this can become very divisive, Chimenti said.

The number of COVID-19 cases associated with theSchool of Supernatural Ministry and a Redding nursing home is on the decline, Shasta County Health Officer Dr. KarenRamstromsaid during a media briefing Wednesday.

Bethel officials have said in written statements they continue to work with public health.

As of last Tuesday, the school had reported 321 positive cases since the outbreak started in September. Bethel spokesman Aaron Tesauro said Friday public health officials confirmed less than 12 active coronavirus cases in the school.

For the actions that Bethel has made as a church and school since March, we recommend the public view our history of adjustments and statements at http://www.bethel.com/coronavirus, Tesauro said in an email.

Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry co-founder Kris Vallotton posted a video Tuesday night, Oct. 20, 2020 on Facebook in which he defended the occurrence of a large wedding in Shingletown last weekend.(Photo: Facebook)

Tesauro directed questions about the wedding to Vallotton.

Vallotton addressed his grandson'swedding in avideo he posted Tuesday on Instagram and Facebook. He did not respond to an email from the Record Searchlight seeking comment at the time.

In the video, he said about 100 people attended the wedding, down from an original guest list of 300, and the family and attendees knew the risk.

He said few people wore masks, but they knew all the guests and "we had them seated at family tables."

"I live a fully lockdown life with some exceptions and I think ... we have to measure the risk to reward," he said.

On Friday, Vallotton said in an email to the Record Searchlight that he has reached out to supervisors and will work out my relationship with them personally. He declined to comment further.

RELATED STORY:Amid surge in COVID cases at its school, Bethel hosted in-person worship conference

Meanwhile, in another Instagram video this month, church leader Beni Johnson disparaged the importance of wearing masks to help prevent spread of the virus. If you'll do the scientific research, these masks are worthless and they're people's security blankets," she said in the video.

Johnson later apologized but she also said she still questions the importance of the public health measure.

Sean Feucht sings on stage with his family, Ezra, 5, Keturah, 9, and Malachi, 7, in front of the west steps of the state Capitol as protesters gathered at Liberty Fest to protest Gov. Gavin Newsom's stay-at-home order in Sacramento, Calif., on May 23. Hundreds of protesters rallied outside the Capitol on Saturday to protest against California's stay-at-home orders even as residents entered the Memorial Day weekend with newly expanded options for going to the beach, barbecuing and shopping. (Jason Pierce/The Sacramento Bee via AP)(Photo: Jason Pierce, AP)

Christian recording artist Sean Feucht, aBethel volunteer worship leader, has held large open-air concerts in California and in other parts of the country, including the National Mall in Washington D.C., Kenosha, Wis. and Chicago and Nashville, in defiance of physical distancing and other health guidelines during the pandemic. A rally organized in July at the Sundial Bridge drew thousands.

Moty said its important for the county to keep pressuring Bethel to do the right thing and follow health guidelines.

Baugh said at the start of the outbreak at the School of Supernatural Ministry, health officials danced around it when they could have been more forthright with the public.

We cant be afraid to talk about things in a very transparent way if were going to salvage our community and be healthy as a community. We have to talk about these things, he said.

Health and Human Services Agency Director Donnell Ewert told supervisors during his last conversation with Vallotton, the BSSM director told him Bethels leadership is not of one mind.

Ewert said he asked Vallotton if the churchs leadership could come up with a united message about the importance of wearing masks and social distancing because it would help the community.

And he told me he couldnt do it because they are not of one mind, Ewert said.

Moty told Ewert he found that unsettling.

That disturbs me very much to hear that they cant control different aspects of their organization for the good of public health in Shasta County. Thats really bad, Moty said.

David Benda coversbusiness, developmentand anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street"column.Hes part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, coverbreaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-225-8219. To support and sustain this work, please subscribetoday.

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Patience with Bethel Church leadership waning after inconsistent messages on COVID-19 - Record Searchlight