Coronavirus Australia: Dozens busted at illegal church gathering during lockdown in Sydney’s west
Pastor behind illegal church gathering allegedly told the 60 adults and children to ‘refuse lockdown’ and flout Covid rules ‘in the name of Jesus’ – before police shut down the sermon and issued $35,000 worth of fines
Police called to church in western Sydney, where adults and kids were gatheringIllegal gathering in Blacktown held several hours before curfew came into effectPolice allege church had no QR code and attendees came from all across SydneyPolice issued $35,000 in penalty infringement notices to attendees and church NSW Police Commissioner and minister have slammed Sunday night’s gatheringDo you know more? Email: brittany.chain@mailonline.com
Sixty people arrived at a church in Covid-hit western Sydney to hear their pastor ‘declare lockdowns over in the name of Jesus’ shortly before they were busted by police.
Marvin Osaghae delivered a spirited sermon to Christ Embassy Sydney parishioners on Sunday in which he vowed to ‘refuse every lockdown in our cities’.
Fed-up neighbours reported the service to New South Wales police on Sunday night, who arrived at the Blacktown church in Sydney’s west at 7.30pm and issued $35,000 worth of fines.
Blacktown is one of 12 Sydney local government areas under particularly strict lockdown due to the rapid spread of Covid-19.
Police allege there were also no mandatory QR codes at the church entrance.
The Sydney branch of the global church, which was founded in Nigeria, is run by local couple Marvin (pictured) and Isioma Osaghae
The Sydney branch of the global church, which was founded in Nigeria, is run by local couple Marvin and Isioma Osaghae.
During Sunday’s sermon, Mr Osaghae discussed the Covid crisis, praying that businesses would soon return to normal and streets would ‘come back alive’.
‘In the name of Jesus we refuse every lockdown in our cities,’ he said in widely distributed footage of a sermon he delivered on Sunday.
‘We declare the lockdowns are over in the name of Jesus. Lockdowns are over in the cities of New South Wales.’
Footage of police at the scene shows many of the parishioners without face masks, which are mandatory across NSW unless a person is exercising or at home.
Thirty adult attendees at the church sermon held in Blacktown were issued $1,000 penalty infringement notices on Sunday night
Marvin Osaghae delivered a spirited sermon to Christ Embassy Sydney parishioners on Sunday in which he vowed to ‘refuse every lockdown in our cities’
Extra officers were called to the church to help break up the gathering and obtain attendees’ details. Early indications suggest many had travelled from other locked-down suburbs, including the Canterbury-Bankstown and Fairfield LGAs.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller told the Today show the illegal gathering was ‘disappointing to say the least’, adding that officials are relying on community leaders to ensure compliance with government orders.
‘We rely on our leaders, whether it’s a business leader or our premier or our church leaders, to do the right thing,’ he said. ‘This is just sending the wrong message in the communities.
‘At the moment, we are struggling with Covid in NSW, and these type of events are one of the reasons why. I mean, these people then go back to their homes and spread it to their broader family members and then we get the house-to-house transmission.’
Meanwhile the Police Minister, David Elliott, questioned how and why anybody would be willing to ‘endanger their community’.
‘I’m actually quite stunned,’ he told 2GB on Monday morning.
‘When you consider that churches are there to profess the message of hope and love, and to have those people just endanger communities because they are potentially going to spread a virus is extraordinary.’
‘If cathedrals can stream online their services, I don’t understand why suburban churches in Blacktown can’t.’
Mr Elliott said he wouldn’t tolerate any excuses, particularly concerning cultural differences.
‘I’m not going to cop that it’s cultural for them, it’s cultural for everyone,’ he said. ‘We all want to spend afternoons with our family and friends, but we’re making sacrifices.
Police were called to a church in Blacktown on Sunday night, where 60 adults were children were participating in a sermon inside
Pastor Osaghae denied hosting the event but admitted he was there for ‘the party’.
Sunday night’s event was held just hours after the church posted an online sermon.
The church also advertised its afternoon sermon on Instagram on Sunday, which people could attend ‘online or onsite.’
The church has already been inundated with online backlash.
‘Unbelievable! A law unto yourselves! Living in your own little entitled bubble. Shame on you for dragging your city further down in to lockdown,’ one man posted on the church’s Facebook page.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Christ Embassy Sydney for comment.
Christ Embassy Church advertised its afternoon sermon on Instagram on Sunday, encouraging people to attend ‘online or onsite.’
Blacktown is one of the 12 Sydney local government areas where tough new restrictions came into effect from midnight Monday in a desperate attempt to curb Sydney’s Covid-19 outbreak.
New restrictions include a one hour exercise limit and evening curfew between 9pm and 5am.
Service NSW-issued permits will be required for authorised workers travelling in and out of the 12 LGAs of concern for work from August 28.
It’s also one of the worst areas in terms of Covid-19 infections as NSW recorded 830 cases on Sunday, the highest number of daily new cases in Australia since pandemic began in early 2020.
More than 1,200 cases have been recorded in Blacktown in the last month, including almost 700 without a known source of infection.
Police allege there were no mandatory QR codes when they were called to Christ Embassy Sydney (pictured) in the Covid-19 hotspot of Blacktown on Sunday night
