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Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the location of the church.

A Turtlecreek Township church continuing to conduct services in which congregants sit and stand close together as the COVID-19 outbreak worsens is causing alarm on social media.

“You are a shining example of how to disobey the commandment 'love your brother as yourself,'” a retired woman posted on the Facebook page of the Solid Rock Church at 903 Union Road.

“You have needlessly exposed others to spread the virus.”

The church conducted two services Sunday – the same day Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced a statewide stay-at-home order.

Churches have been exempted from the progressively strict orders DeWine has been issuing regarding public gatherings and remain so in the governor’s shelter-in-place order effective at 11:59 p.m. tonight.

While most houses of worship have closed in favor of virtual services and communicating via websites and email, Solid Rock Church has not been afraid to say it is taking a different road.

On Sunday, the Solid Rock Church Facebook page posted this message with an invitation for people to attend services at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.:

“We are open! Thankful the governor hasn’t placed restrictions on churches.

“Join us today! If you can’t make it or aren’t feeling well, watch us online at www.solidrockchurch.org.”

Monday afternoon the church doubled down on its stance in a statement on its website:

"We at Solid Rock Church share everyone’s concern to help keep people safe. The First Amendment of our Constitution guarantees freedom concerning religion, expression, and assembly. It specifically forbids congress from restricting an individual’s religious practices. Therefore, the government ban on large gatherings does not apply to religious worship.

"There is no pressure from Solid Rock Church to require anyone to come our services. We are respectful of every individual’s right to choose either to come to our service or to watch online. We do believe that it is important for our doors to remain open for whomever to come to worship and pray during this time of great challenge in our country."

The Enquirer did not get a response from Solid Rock Church after contacting it by phone, email and Facebook message on Monday. Requests for information specifically included questions related to why congregants were gathering so close together and touching, which the church statement does not address.

The situation involving Solid Rock Church is likely to be raised at DeWine’s regular 2 p.m. press conference today.

DeWine had this to say at Sunday’s conference:

“I would just implore ministers, priests, rabbis, everyone…think about your congregation. Catholic bishops, for example, in Ohio basically have closed all public services.

“Coming together in a large group is just not a good idea. In fact, it is just very, very dangerous.”

On Sunday, the Journal-News in Hamilton reported, a live stream that is no longer available shows the pews at Solid Rock Church were not filled to capacity at either service, but people were standing and sitting next to each other, shaking hands and sharing microphones.

A church video posted March 19 on its Facebook page shows a gathering of about 100 people sitting next to each other in pews, people hugging and money and checks changing hands as a preacher asks the congregation to give financial help to people in the audience who have lost their jobs or lost wages because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

'We know crazy things are going on around us'

“There’s blessings in the house of the Lord. We can’t just talk about giving. We can be the ones a-givin’,” the preacher said.

“We know crazy things are going on around us, but it’s a good thing to know that we didn’t start praying when the trouble came. We didn’t start giving when the trouble came. We’ve been doing this a long, long time.”

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