Megachurch lead pastor Greg Fairrington of Destiny Christian Church in Rocklin, California, released a video last Thursday announcing that the church will hand out “religious exemption” letters pertaining to the COVID-19 vaccination at their worship service over the weekend.
People have been calling the church asking for a religious exemption from the mandate of the vaccine, the pastor said. “The mandate of you take the vaccine or else you lose your job…that’s just not right,” Fairrington said in the video.
“We’re not anti-vax, but we are pro-freedom at Destiny,” he said, and explained that the church has worked with its legal team to develop a religious exemption.
Speaking to those who feel “morally compromised” by taking the vaccine, Fairrington said, “We have a form for you that has been approved by our legal counsel that you can get on Sunday morning [yesterday, August 15, 2021].”
“If you come to Destiny, we’ll be able to give this to you,” Fairrington said, adding that the church wants to help. “We look forward to seeing you on Sunday. Our prayers are with you in this highly stressful moment that we are living in right now.”
Exemption Letter Available for Online Campus Too
Destiny Christian Church is also making the “religious exemption” letter available to those who aren’t local and attend their online campus as well. Fairrington said on his Instagram page to email church@destinyonline.com to receive the exemption. His Instagram post has over 17,000 views and nearly 400 comments.
Related article: Want to Worship in Person? Some Churches Now Require Proof of COVID Vaccination
One person who left a comment on post said, “My employer is trying to do this! We will be there is Sunday to grab multiple.”
Another similar comment read, “Wish I could get 4 for me, my hubby, kids here in Cali. If you send them via mail will you post? I think testing is also a big issue as well, too many test can cause harm as well. God bless you!”
A healthcare worker wrote, “As a daughter of Christ and a nurse thank you so much. I just want to cry my eyes out. This has been soooo hard.”
Though most comments express gratitude and praise for Fairrington’s announcement, some saw it as spreading anti-vax propaganda. “You’re doing a great disservice to your followers. It’s disgusting that you’re using your ‘church’ to spread anti-vax propaganda,” a commenter wrote.
Another comment disapproving of the exemption read, “Never seen so many people lined up ready to go to the slaughterhouse…And this pastor is just a grifter…I wonder how much this exemption will cost.”
Destiny Christian Church Ignored Pandemic Restrictions
Fairrington led Destiny Christian Church in defying Governor Gavin Newsom’s COVID-19 mandates last year by keeping its doors open and holding worship gatherings.
Related article: MacArthur: State Does Not, Should Not Have the Authority to Close Churches
The pastor said the exemption offering is about freedom and doesn’t say the virus isn’t real. “I’ve never downplayed the virus. I realize it’s real and people are getting it and getting sick, but we as American citizens have a First Amendment right. America is a great nation because we have liberty,” Fairrington said.
“I believe my mandate as a pastor is to obey the Word of God. Worship is a part of what we do together as a church corporately and we need to do this. This is important that we do this,” the pastor said in a July 2020 interview.