Members of Calvary Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, gather for Christmas Eve service, Dec. 24, 2020. | Facebook/Calvary Church with Skip Heitzig
Two megachurches in New Mexico’s largest city are facing $10,000 fines after state officials alleged that they violated the state’s coronavirus restrictions.
Calvary Church and Legacy Church, both based in Albuquerque, have been fined for violating restrictions on in-person worship services and mask mandates implemented by the New Mexico Department of Health to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The restrictions, effective Dec. 15, require churches located in “red-level” counties to cap attendance at 25% of capacity.
Because Bernalillo County, home to Albuquerque and the largest county in the state, is a “red-level” county, the 25% capacity restrictions apply to Calvary and Legacy Churches. According to local news outlet KRQE, videos of the two churches Christmas services, showing many people gathered with few people wear