Dallas-Fort Worth church ‘ignoring’ coronavirus outbreak among campers, parents say
A Grapevine church that has hosted summer camps for children over the past month has not been forthright about the spread of coronavirus among attendees, according to church members and parents.
Fellowship Church has held multiple retreats at its retreat center, Allaso Ranch, which is located about 85 miles east of Dallas in Hawkins. Photos posted by the church on social media show hundreds of people, mask-less, gathered for group photos and concerts.
At least 80 people who attended the camp tested positive for coronavirus, one mother, who asked her name not be used for legal reasons, said. Her daughter had to go to the emergency room after spending two weeks volunteering at the camp, and she tested positive for coronavirus. She said the church only started reaching out to parents about possible exposure after she posted on the church’s Facebook page that her daughter tested positive.
The church has not posted publicly about attendees catching COVID-19 from the camp.
A spokesman from Fellowship Church said the church followed Centers for Disease Control guidelines and called parents if a camper had symptoms or was in close contact with someone who did.
“This summer, Fellowship Church held several life-changing weeks of camp for kids and students,” the spokesman said via email. “We believe that the church partnering with parents is essential to the success of children.”
The church did not answer questions from the Star-Telegram about how many children were sent home with symptoms or how many tested positive after attending.
‘Labeled as fearful’
Several women who spoke with the Star-Telegram asked that their names not be used because they feared backlash from the church for speaking out. One woman, who is from Coppell, said when she questioned church leaders about their lack of social distancing and masks, she was told she was “being fearful.”
“There hasn’t been any regard to anything with COVID,” she said. “If you’re not serving right now, you’re labeled as being fearful. But no, we’re respecting our neighbor and loving our neighbor.”
The Coppell woman said she has not been attending or serving at the church since the coronavirus pandemic started, and she has been increasingly concerned about the church’s lack of COVID-19 protocols. In May, church attendees had to register to attend services and wear masks. But a few weeks ago, she noticed from photos that many people in the congregation were not wearing masks, were crowded together and were shaking each other’s hands.
She also learned from fellow church members that leaders and campers at Allaso Ranch were coming home from camp and testing positive for the virus. She messaged a church leader with her concerns, and said the church needed to let the community know what was happening. The leader did not respond.
“Anytime you reach out to a leader or someone at the church, they literally ignore what you’re saying,” she said.
Another woman said her daughter volunteered at Allaso Ranch for three weeks, starting in mid-June. When she came home on Saturday, she said several kids at the camp were sick and sent home. The woman immediately had her tested for coronavirus, which came back positive.
“We were only contacted once, on Sunday, when a camp (representative) called to notify me about the issue,” the woman said. “This was hours after my daughter was already home and days after they’d sent other people home from the camp with symptoms.”
She said she feels like the church’s choice to have the five weeks worth of camp was a business decision.
“It was a money maker,” she said. “I can’t see why they would have a camp unless it was to generate revenue. And to make a political stance, that they’re not going to live in fear because ‘we’re the church.’”
The woman said her daughter has attended Allaso Ranch every summer since second grade and the family “trusted they would have safe practices in place.” The family has gone to the church for 20 years, she said, “but this issue has opened my eyes to maybe who they really are.”
“Everyone failed her and the other kids at camp,” the woman said in an email. “We as parents, Governor Abbott for allowing churches, camps to have mass gatherings, and the church leaders. They should have done better.”
In early July, Gov. Greg Abbott exempted religious services from having to follow COVID-19 restrictions, such as occupancy limits.
Both women said the church continues to be vague about the coronavirus outbreak, especially on social media.
Every Wednesday, the church hosts youth fellowships called, “The Mix.” The gatherings have continued all summer. On Wednesday, the church posted on Instagram that “The Mix” would take a two-week summer break and immediately disabled comments on the post. Previous posts on the Instagram page do not have comments disabled.
“They’re still being vague and beating around the bush,” the Coppell woman said. “They’re not saying we screwed up, and there are positive cases.”
