City of Perris says NO to church service on Easter Sunday

The City of Perris continues to say NO to church service outside on Easter Sunday. As Riverside County adapts to the Red teir, local churches in Perris are told not to meet for Easter service while safely distanced at local parks.

On Wednesday, March 17, 2021, Riverside County was relieved of the most restrictive Purple Tear of Pandemic restrictions, and placed in the Red Tear, opening up more of normal life.

When Pastor Chris Thompson of Perris Valley Church approached the City of Perris about holding church service on Easter Sunday at a local park, the City again said no.

"We simply want to protect our congregation and the community, but also allow an outlet for our city to come together and worship in a safe environment," states Pastor Chris. Since the coronavirus pandemic began, his church has met online, with a desire to gather outdoors once per month on a Sunday morning for church service. Since the first threat of citation brought from the City of Perris in August of 2020, his church has met monthly outside in a busy parking lot.

"It's not as safe, but we try to block off a square area with our cars so the drivers doing business don't hurt our congregation. An active parking lot wasn't built for a church gathering.”

"We were simply asking not to be arrested for worshiping safely outside on Easter Sunday"

Many cities throughout the Inland Empire are allowing churches and gyms to use parks for worship and exercise. Houses of worship have also adapted to the pandemic and provide masks, sanitizer, and set chairs up at a distance. “We were told again that the City wasn’t issuing permits for park usage. We were simply asking not to be arrested for worshiping safely outside on Easter Sunday. We are a young church that doesn't own a building or a parking lot. We felt one of our city parks would be a safe place to gather. Unfortunately, the City does not feel the same way," Thompson states.

Thompson and his church last held service at Mercado Park in Perris on Sunday, August 30, 2020, and by the following Wednesday, the Assistant City Manager had a notice taped to the front door of the pastor's home. "I thought maybe they would have called and opened up discussion, but rather they felt a notice of violation would be more proper in the situation." The notice states that Thompson and his church are "to refrain from conducting public gatherings/assemblies on (sic) city parks. Continued non-compliance of this notice will result in administrative citations."

"I understand that our City is, like every other city in California, facing a difficult time managing the pandemic. But also, like many other cities, Perris must work to balance their resources for the betterment of our citizens," Thompson says. Since the pandemic began, the City of Perris has promoted grants to small businesses, resident rental assistance, food giveaways for the community, and many other programs focused on creating avenues for Perris's residence to manage life during COVID. Still, according to Thompson, grace for houses of worship has not been part of any programs that Perris has provided.

"All we're asking for is to be able to use a city park. We have no problem paying any fees. We bring our own insurance, electricity, chairs, and everything we need to provide the safest event possible. We only want to know that we will not receive a citation for holding church in a public location in the City of Perris."

"We just wish that, as a ministry that deeply cares about the citizens of our community, and one that gives back, we would be recognized as essential, or even existing, to our city leaders. With all the needed and appreciated finance our city has put into recovery, I don't feel that allowing a church to meet at a park without the fear of a citation is too much to ask."