'We need an old time lynching': Man with loaded gun is arrested after being found in closet of pastor of North Carolina church that locals have blamed for spread of coronavirus and demanded is 'burned down'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8263337/North-Carolina-Rutherford-County-residents-threaten-demolish-church-coronavirus-rumors.html?ito=facebook_share_article-top&fbclid=IwAR1g3A6PhRxqZd27wzkta0ZPGwH_E_Qv8Ngxtu9tZp8DR1fcb4xuh-h3Ja8
- Stephen Cordes was found in Word of Faith Fellowship senior associate minster Brooke Covington's closet Monday
- Cordes, a former member of the church, had a firearm in his vehicle
- Monday the church confirmed three members had died from COVID-19
- Some residents of Rutherford County – where 121 were infected and six had died as of Monday - had previously made threats toward the church and its members
- Police were investigation messages that called for lynchings and to burn down the church with the congregation inside
- The church has reassured the public they have complied with social distancing and help services via streaming
- However locals have taken issue with members living in close quarters on the compound of the church
A former member of a North Carolina church that is being blamed for the local spread of coronavirus, has been arrested after he was caught breaking into a pastor's home as the county panicked about who was to blame for the local spread of the illness.
Stephen Cordes was found in Word of Faith Fellowship senior associate minster Brooke Covington's closet Monday when the church confirmed three members had died from COVID-19. He had a loaded gun in his vehicle trunk.
Some residents of Rutherford County – where 121 were infected and six had died as of Monday - had previously made threats toward the church and its members, some of whom live in multi-family housing on its gated compound.
In keeping with social distancing guidelines, services are being livestreamed online and the church has posted video evidence that police were monitoring their movements by patrolling the area.
Stephen Cordes was found in the closet of a Word of Faith Fellowship minster on Monday. He had a loaded gun in his car
Word of Faith Fellowship has been live-streaming services in compliance with social distancing guidelines (pictured). However Rutherford County, North Carolina residents have spread rumors the church is responsible for a chunk of coronavirus cases
One man suggested 'old timey lynching' after hearing that 29 COVID-19 cases came from the church
Others posted messages online about burning down the church with members inside
Rutherford Emergency Management did not say where clusters of infections were coming from but on Friday stated cases were in 'healthcare agencies, retail stores, commercial businesses, congregate living situations and educational entities'.
One man speculate that 29 out of 31 cases were from the church.
'If anything happens to my family that is still in there so help me ... ,' the gunman wrote on Facebook on April 8. Cordes is now based in Raleigh.
Corde was charged with breaking and entering to terrorize and injure, plus two drug offenses, one of them a felony, the Charlotte Observer reports.
He remained jailed Monday on $100,000 bond.
Police said they were investigating as others had threatened violence on the congregation and pastors.
'Can we just lock up the WoFF compound and burn it to the ground with them inside?' Drannon Brown posted. 'That was we could open up the rest of the county.'
Cordes showed up at Brooke Covington's home as the church confirmed three members had died Monday. She is pictured with Joshua Valentine after she was tried for second-degree kidnapping and simple assault charges in 2017 but that case ended in mistrial
The church has accused Citizens Against Corruption and Abuse of being a hate group
Cordes was seen commenting on the Facebook group's online posts earlier this month
He is a former member whose family still lives inside the compound the church is on
'There needs to be an old timey lynching if this is true and the authorities can't stop it and perhaps they need some help!' Joe Alley posted online. 'I could be talked into an convoy of 10-100 cars and trucks pulling into their parking lot at one time and causing a ruckus so bad they could have services until this pandemic is over.'
The angry messages followed news that on Sunday the infection rate was up 54 percent compared to the week before.
Another man wrote: 'Maybe if you just put your big girl panties on and just eradicated that compound & made it a crater this might get (the disease) under control.'
Some messages were targeted specifically at senior pastor Jane Whaley.
'If I had money and I knew where she lived, I'd burn her house down,' one person wrote.
'Sick woman all I can say! Hope they arrest her and everyone else involved,' another posted. 'Burn the place to the ground while at it! Show her the (expletive) devil.'
The church exposed the 'small but very vicious group who spew hate, misinformation and lies' by sharing screen grabs of the messages on their website.
'This isn't "free speech." It is hate speech designed to kill, steal and destroy,' they said in a statement before the break-in occurred.
'During times of deep personal and corporate tragedy, pastoral spiritual support is needed more than ever.'
The church shared the details of the shocking messages on their website and police began an investigation
Some messages were targeted specifically at senior pastor and church founder Jane Whaley. Whaley was accused in 2017 of coercing congregants into filing fraudulent unemployment claims
The church has been the subject of controversy for years.
Whaley, the founder and pastor was accused in 2017 of coercing congregants into filing fraudulent unemployment claims. Dozens of former members estimated the fraudulent claims would have drawn payments totaling in the hundreds of thousands over the course of six years.
There have also been abuse allegations against the church where 'congregants were regularly punched and choked in an effort to beat out devils'.
A man accused the group in Spindale of attacking him for being gay in a verbally abusive and violent process called 'blasting' prayer.
One of his alleged attackers, Covington, was tried for second-degree kidnapping and simple assault charges but that case ended in mistrial in 2017.
Matthew Fenner's mother, Linda Addington, initially testified against him at that trial. Then she said the group had her 'brainwashed' and she ignored red flags.