Covid 19 coronavirus: Pastor who defiantly held church service dies of virus

Bishop Gerald Glenn did from Covid-19. Photo / The New Deliverance Evangelistic Church

An evangelical pastor who defiantly held church services even with Covid-19 rampant through the US has died of coronavirus.

Just weeks ago Virginia Bishop Gerald Glenn proudly showed off how packed his church was, vowing to keep preaching "unless I'm in jail or the hospital".

On March 22, he got his congregation to stand to prove how many there were despite warnings in the US against gatherings of more than 10 people.

During his service, Glenn said: "I firmly believe that God is larger than this dreaded virus. You can quote me on that," he said, repeating it a second time to claps, saying that "people are healed" in his church.

He controversially announced he was "in violation" of safety protocols and vowed to keep the church open, declaring "I am essential", adding "I'm a preacher - I talk to God."

Three weeks later, on April 11, his church announced "with an exceedingly sorrowful and heavy heart" that Glenn had passed away a week after contracting Covid-19.

His wife has also been unwell.

Glenn's daughter Mar-Gerie Crawley told WTVR her father dismissed his Covid-19 symptoms because he had a condition that often led to fevers and infections.

Now she has made a plea to Americans and people across the world to take the virus seriously.

"I just beg people to understand the severity and the seriousness of this, because people are saying it's not just about us, it's about everyone around us."

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