The evangelical pastor, who vowed to keep preaching unless he was “in jail or the hospital”, has died of COVID-19 weeks after defiantly opening his church doors.
Bishop Gerald Glenn showed off his jam-packed congregation back on March 22 at the New Deliverance Evangelistic Church in Richmond, VA.
He told his followers to stand up and prove their numbers despite social distancing guidelines and warnings against large gatherings in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
His church announced that Mr Glenn died on, of all days, Easter Sunday from COVID-19 a week after testing positive for the novel coronavirus.
MORE:
During that infamous in-person service, the Bishop said he firmly believed God was larger than the virus and said he was proud of being “controversial” for violating safety protocols.
The Bishop also claimed he was an “essential” worker, saying he’s a preacher and he talks to God.
The Bishop’s wife, Marcietia Glenn, is also infected with COVID-19.
The couple’s daughter, Mar-Gerie Crawley, reportedly said her father dismissed his symptoms at first because he has a health condition that often results in fevers and infections.
Now, she’s urging everyone to stay home, saying the virus has become very real to her.