Defiant Baltimore Pastor Tears Up Cease-and-Desist Order During Sermon, Welcomes Authorities to Take Action

Pastor Stacey Shiflett, like many other pastors, is refusing to obey orders to keep his church closed. Shiflett, however, is going a step further and making sure that they see his defiance with visual aids.

Shiflett’s Calvary Baptist Church in Dundalk in Baltimore received a cease-and-desist letter from local officials, threatening to fine the church $5,000 for holding in-person services. According to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s order, churches can now reopen at 50 percent capacity but left the timing of the order to local governments.

On Wednesday night, Shiflett was holding a service that had 100 congregants in his 600 seat building, put him well below the 50 percent range, but the local municipality still issued a cease-and-desist letter. Shiflett was clearly displeased during his service and mid-sermon, tore the letter in pieces, and tossed it aside.

“With this cease-and-desist letter in my hand, the Bible says to the New Testament church ‘not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is, but so much more as you see the day approaching,’ and the closer we get to Jesus coming back, th