Las Vegas’ Seaman, local pastors call ban on drive-thru church services ‘overreach’

Las Vegas City Councilwoman Victoria Seaman and several local churches are asking Gov. Steve Sisolak to reconsider his ban on worship services for 10 or more people, including drive-thru and pop-up services, for the duration of the COVID-19 state of emergency.

Calling the governor’s directive “government overreach,” Seaman and pastors from the International Church of Las Vegas, Liberty Baptist Church, Southern Hills Baptist Church and other Las Vegas-area churches gathered Thursday outside the ICLV in Summerlin to decry the ban on drive-thru services in particular. ICLV had been planning to hold Easter Sunday services in its parking lot this weekend, during which attendees would stay in their cars.

“It’s the overreach of people being in their cars,” Seaman said. “People are in the markets, people are picking up take-out food, and being in your cars is as social distancing as you can be.”

Sisolak announced Wednesday that houses of worship were officially prohibited from holding services, although a ban on gatherings of 10 or more people had already been established. A practicing Catholic, Sisolak stressed that the ban was “not an easy ask” but necessary to protect public health during the COVID-19 pandemic that has sickened more than 2,000 Nevadans.

“Religious leaders are encouraged to find alternatives to in-person gatherings, such as Internet streaming, to avoid endangering their congregants,” he said.

Church leaders present said they had no plans as of now to hold any services this weekend. But if the governor were to allow it, ICLV would like to hold a drive-thru Easter service that would comply with social distancing, said Pastor Paul Marc Goulet. Church leaders planned to hand out Easter baskets for children during the service, while wearing gloves and masks and requiring everyone to stay in their cars, he said.

“It’s just the mandate, the dictate. That’s not right,” Goulet said.

Goulet and Josh Teis, pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church, said they agreed with Sisolak’s handling of the pandemic in the state up until Wednesday. They willingly closed their churches weeks ago without being forced to, Teis said.

“Yesterday, last night, you changed your position,” Teis said, addressing the governor. “Somehow, over the last few weeks, the government grew in its ability to shut down churches.”

Rather than force churches to stop holding services, Teis suggested that Sisolak and other elected officials approach the few that might still be holding services and “talk to that one pastor.”

“What you’ll see is a Christian community that’s willing to follow your suggestions, but will push back at your dictates,” he said.

Dave Teis, pastor of Liberty Baptist Church, said the Nevada constitution prohibits the governor from telling religious institutions “what we can and cannot do when it comes to worship.”

“We’ll do what we need to do to protect our people,” Dave Teis said.

Goulet thanked Seaman for her support as well as Mayor Carolyn Goodman, who he said also supported their request to hold drive-thru services. According to city spokesman Jace Radke, Thursday’s demonstration was not a city-backed event.

As of Thursday, 2,451 people in Nevada have tested positive for coronavirus, 2,009 of which have been reported in Clark County, according to the Southern Nevada Health District. Eighty people statewide — 71 in Clark County — have died from complications related to COVID-19.