Pastor Loren Sandford has passed away. The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) killed him. Dominionist theology killed him. Sandford has been steadfastly against the protective measures the government has implemented since the onset of COVID. He has a history of tweeting more about the hurt to local businesses than to the hundreds of thousands dead from the virus. Just two months ago he tweeted that if anyone from the government came to his door promoting the vaccine he would shut the door in their face. He once held up his church as proof that the fear of COVID was unwarranted since there were seemingly no COVID cases traceable to New Song Church. Then came mid-August and this tweet from Sandford:
"I don't know where it came from or how it happened but we at New Song have been slammed with Covid-19 cases. I myself am still extemely ill as is nearly our entire staff except Ray and Inex who are out of town. To protect everyone I AM CLOSING THE CHURCH FOR A WEEK in order to stop this thing. I love my poeple too much not do this. I will, however, stream an older full length worship service from the achives so that you can worship and get the word of the Lord." - Loren Sandford
When you discourage your congregation from protecting themselves and refuse to take the vaccine yourself and then jam them all in the same room every week you should not be confused "where it came from." It came from the unbridled arrogance of Pastor Loren Sandford. It came from his careless disregard for the sheep entrusted to him. God does not charge pastors with protecting the Constitution of the United States. He did not charge pastors with protecting their personal definition of freedoms. He charged them with protecting their sheep and so many who ascribe to dominionist theology simply abandon that sacred charge.
This is not to speak ill of the dead but the people who follow false teachers have value to God. I did not know Loren Sandford. Perhaps he started out with the best of intentions and theology and just got swept up in the shift from solid preaching to the NAR that has occurred over the past two decades. What I do know is if you simply peruse his "word of the day" vignettes you are more likely to hear his distorted criticism of the current president than you are to hear any biblical exegesis. It is the typical blurring of the lines between the gospel of Jesus Christ and the gospel of the Republican Party. Make no mistake about it, dominionism and confirmation bias killed Pastor Loren Sandford as well as some of his followers and Satan could not be more pleased.
You think you know better than science? The virus does not care.
You think that Facebook meme makes more sense than epidemiology? The virus doesn't care.
You think it is a good plan to take your medical advice from your pastor? The virus doesn't care.
