Orrington Church to Defy Governor's Order with In-Person Service

Calvary Chapel in Orrington will hold in-person services on Sunday, in defiance of Governor Mills' emergency order.

Pastor Ken Graves has been holding drive-in services for several weeks, with people instructed to park in their ample lot, shut off their cars, and tune into the service on their radios. The services are live, with Graves speaking from a balcony, overlooking the vehicles.

But over the weekend, he announced a change to the programming. On Sunday, May 10, services will be held inside the building, in defiance of the governor's executive order.

Graves said during his service posted on the church's Facebook page on Sunday that the congregation may be spread across several rooms, in order to accommodate social distancing, but they would all be in the same building. Live services are being held at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., with an additional drive-in service at 9:30 a.m.

Mills' has allowed for drive-in services, with her four-step reopening plan, but still has a ban on in-person worship services. WGME-TV reports that, by defying the order, Graves and his congregation could be charged with a class E crime, with penalties of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Graves said in his sermon that, by not meeting in person, they may have been following the governor's directive, but they were not following God's law.