Here you go. This is just one piece. There was LOTS more local and state coverage about how local health officials were concerned that Bethel Church was undermining efforts to control the pandemic. And how it was no coincidence that Bethel Church was at the epicenter of the worst COVID outbreaks in the state of California:
https://shastascout.org/bethel-churchs- ... the-beast/
Bethel Church’s Bill Johnson Compares COVID Vaccines to “Mark of the Beast”
Bethel Church, a Redding megachurch that claims to perform miraculous healings, has been the center of controversy over statements and actions related to COVID. Neither Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry nor Bethel Christian School require masks for students.
BY ANNELISE PIERCE ● NEWS ● OCTOBER 15, 2021
Bill Johnson, the Senior Leader of Bethel Church, a Redding megachurch with approximately 10,000 local attendees, used a recent Sunday morning message to compare the COVID vaccine to the “mark of the beast.”
Shasta County, where Bethel is located, has had it’s biggest surge in COVID cases over recent months. While that surge is now declining, between August 30 and September 29, 63 people died of COVID in Shasta County, more than four times the state-wide rate. Data indicates that FDA-approved COVID vaccines significantly reduce virus transmission, hospitalizations, and deaths. While those who have been vaccinated for COVID can become ill with the virus, they are far less likely to die or be hospitalized from it, than those without.
Johnson’s words about the vaccines were part of a brief series of personal political statements that were shared live and streamed to Bethel TV’s half a million users, in August. The sermon is also available on Bethel’s podcast, which has 20 million downloads a year and is available in ten languages.
Speaking extemporaneously in remarks related to his message about courage, Johnson told his local and online audience, “With the mark of the beast you can’t buy or sell or do business. And without a vaccine, they want you to not be able to buy or sell or do business.”
“Now I’m not opposing vaccines,” Johnson continued, “I’m just saying this is an interesting dress rehearsal for a bigger issue in the future. We’ve got to be careful what we buy into. Some of the things you buy into today will cost you tomorrow.”
“The mark of the beast” is a Biblical reference to an allegiance with extreme evil. In the end times, Revelation 13 reads, people will be required to wear a name, mark, or number (666), known as the mark of the beast, and signifying their association with evil in order to conduct business. Connections between “the mark of the beast” and COVID vaccines are sometimes found alongside a belief in Q-anon conspiracy theories. Danny Silk, another of Bethel’s Senior Leaders, has promoted Q-anon conspiracy theories on his social media pages.
While major religious traditions and groups, including Christianity, are largely united in their support of COVID vaccines, leaders of Bethel Church have been criticized for failing to follow COVID precautions.
Last year, Johnson’s wife, Beni Johnson, shared a video where she referred to masks as “worthless” and “security blankets.” After that incident went viral, Bethel’s Assistant Senior Leader Kris Vallotton distanced the church from Beni’s statements, saying “masks are the law, and also we personally believe it’s more than the law it’s about love.” But shortly thereafter Vallotton held a family wedding with more than 100 participants, drawing a rebuke from Shasta County Supervisors.
In the last week, Bill and Beni Johnson and other Bethel leaders have also used their personal social media accounts to promote local school walkouts in response to COVID vaccine mandates for teachers and students. A letter by a local teacher, who refuses both COVID testing and the COVID vaccine, was shared by Bill Johnson on his personal Instagram with the caption: “We must oppose government overreach, regardless of your stance on the vax.” Johnson’s post has over 12,000 likes.
Bethel’s stance on COVID has concerned local leaders, in part because Bethel is one of the largest employers in Shasta County. The church is also closely connected with Sean Feucht, a political activist and worship leader who has held “Let Us Worship” events across the United States in defiance of COVID restrictions.
Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry
Bethel Church also runs a number of schools, including Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM), a program that enrolls thousands of students in multiple years of schooling. Last October, BSSM was the center of a Redding COVID outbreak involving more than 300 students.
This year, Bethel Communications confirmed that a July 15 BSSM COVID policy update is still current. That policy does not specifically address masks or vaccines but says that students moving from outside the area to attend Bethel schools will not be asked to quarantine or test prior to beginning BSSM. Students started their school year in late August and early September.
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The article goes on to talk about how the K12 private schools run by Bethel were out of compliance and defiantly opposed to state COVID recommendations as well.
So it isn’t surprising that they managed to generate the worst COVID infection and death rates in the entire state by far. Nice positive impact they had on their local community. Rather than healing the sick and raising people from the dead. They were actually getting people sick and killing them.