A controversial drive-in Easter church service scheduled for Sunday in the parking lot of the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma was canceled Friday, according to a spokesperson for OURchurch 253.

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The idea was that people would drive to the casino parking lot, park their cars and tune their radios to 107.9 FM to listen to the service.

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A man was fatally shot last weekend at an Emerald Queen Casino parking garage in Tacoma, according to Puyallup Tribal Police. The victim has not been identified. The homicide occurred around.

Casino eugene or. “We are surprised and shocked that the governor has discouraged drive-in experiences, which in no way violate health rules of the White House or the state of Washington, over Passover and Easter weekend,” wrote OURchurch 253 pastor Dean Curry in a statement.

A man was shot and killed in the parking lot of the Emerald Queen Casino early Saturday.

Curry, formerly the lead pastor at Life Center in Tacoma, stepped down from that position in 2018 amid complaints of sexual misconduct. He recently resurfaced and started OURchurch 253 in University Place. His church has been holding drive-in services since the coronavirus shutdown began. Casinos near ardmore oklahoma.

“A drive-in worship service on Easter gives people a valuable shared experience during this holy week, which allows them to stay in their own vehicle, without violating the health rules,” Curry’s statement said. “They interact with no one. Marijuana distributors and others have drive-in experiences which apparently please the governor, but worship at Easter is an issue.

“Social isolation resulting in growth of addiction, despair and loneliness, there’s a very real threat that I would hope the governor would consider. Out of respect for our friends at the Puyallup Tribe, we don’t want them to be in the middle of this issue, so we are reconsidering where we will hold the event, if at all. I urge the governor to reconsider.”

The idea for the large-scale Easter Sunday event was controversial from the start. A spokeswoman for Gov. New casino in atlantic city nj. Jay Inslee said in a statement to The News Tribune on Friday that the governor’s office and the state have no authority over tribal lands.

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“Drive-in religious services are not allowed per the governor’s proclamation. However, we do not have authority on tribal lands as they are sovereign nations,” the statement said. “And the Emerald Queen Casino is on the lands of the Puyallup Tribe. We do not have authority to tell them what they can and cannot do. The Puyallups and other tribes have been great partners in the fight against COVID-19, but the governor’s office does not dictate what happens in tribal communities.”

With the cancellation, the planned services will move online, following the trend of the majority of churches in the area, which have complied with the governor’s orders and have found creative ways to engage their congregations online, rather than circumventing recommended public health guidelines.

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