Mississippi City Says Drive-In Church Services Are Allowed with ‘Windows Rolled Up’

A Mississippi city at the center of a row about drive-in churches has revised its policy on the issue. The Greenville City Council has clarified that the unique format of worship gathering – which has been employed by churches to protect congregants from spreading COVID-19 – is permitted providing that car windows remain fully up.

Mayor Errick D. Simmons was forced to make the revisions after the Department of Justice threw its weight behind a church that sued the city over the restriction. On April 8, around 20 members of Temple Baptist Church gathered in their vehicles were shocked to be accosted by police officers and cited with $500 fines for their behavior. Though the fines were later rescinded, the furor over the case – and what it means for First Amendment rights – continued.

Ryan Tucker of legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, which has been representing Temple Baptist, thanked the city for “dropping its unconstitutional ban.”

“Public officials are right to care about public health and safety during the coronavirus crisis, but they are wrong when they treat churches more harshly than others in government orders related to it,” Tucker said in a statement.

“We commend Greenville for dropping its unconstitutional ban, which prohibited drive-in church services but allowed similar types of activities, such as eating at drive-in restaurants. That…