Motion Church tells state mask, social distancing guidelines will be followed
An East Pierce County church has responded to state concerns about its COVID-19 safety protocols, saying masks and social distancing will be required, but online videos of weekend services show otherwise.
Motion Church, a Christian church with campuses in Puyallup, South Hill and Bonney Lake, has been at the center of public backlash on social media and reported accusations for failing to enforce six-foot distancing and face mask mandates.
Following 175 complaints sent to the state, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries sent a letter on March 17 to the church requesting a workplace health and safety protocol. Motion Church was asked to address the allegations of a lack of mask enforcement and social distancing violations.
Motion Church said in its response to the state that it has received no complaints from employees or parishioners.
“In addition, to the best of our knowledge, there have been no outbreaks, no hospitalizations and no deaths in 10 months,” the March 29 letter signed by Senior Pastor Roger Archer stated.
The church said that face coverings “are and will be required for all employees,” and social distancing guidelines apply to all employees and parishioners and will be required.
The response letter also said signs and posters on face coverings and social distancing will be posted at each church location and a COVID-19 supervisor has been designated at each location to monitor and educate staff of COVID-19 guidelines.
Motion Church did not respond to The News Tribune’s requests for further comments.
Motion Church posts services on social media. Weekend services on Instagram and Facebook show attendees, singers and speakers not wearing masks. Photos of the congregation do not appear to follow six-foot social distancing requirements.
Since the state’s March 17 letter to Motion Church, The News Tribune found no social media post or website announcement regarding face coverings or social distancing.
The church’s Easter service posted online showed Archer, singers and speakers without masks. Attendees sat in theater seats without masks or social distancing.
The state has COVID-19 requirements for religious and faith-based organizations in Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Roadmap to Recovery” plan. Requirements include:
Indoor worship services can hold up to 50 percent capacity, with a recommended maximum of 400 people if the space is less than 100,000 square feet and 600 people if the space is more than 100,000 square feet
Six feet of physical distancing must be achieved between each group in all directions
Choirs of any size are permitted to sing so long as six feet of physical distancing is maintained between each singer, and all singers wear a three-layer cloth mask or surgical mask.
All organizations must follow six-foot distancing between congregation seats, pews and benches or have physical barriers between them.
Face coverings must stay on for the duration of the service.
A facial covering must be worn by every individual not alone at the location unless their exposure dictates a higher level of protection under Department of Labor & Industries safety and health rules and guidance.
The state has received 175 complaints regarding face covering and social distancing since June 2020. Previous reporting said there were 182, but the Washington State Department of Health said staff went through the complaints and found a few duplicates.
Nearly all of the complaints to L&I obtained by The News Tribune mention a lack of face coverings or social distancing.
“Motion Church is not requiring people to wear masks and the ‘6 feet apart’ rule is not being put into action. Everyone in that church is violating state laws about mask requirements. I cannot go back because no one is wearing a mask, no gloves are being used. It’s like the church is fully back to normal and doesn’t care about anyone’s health,” one complaint said.
“The church is holding gatherings that exceed the limit of people, not a single person is wearing masks, nor are they practicing social distancing,” another complaint said.
Archer’s response letter said the church would be interested in learning more about the complaints.
“We are aware of a social media campaign against our church which is uninformed and appears to be motivated by a bias against our ministry,” the church’s letter said.
Labor and Industries is still considering next steps with Motion Church. The state could determine the letter sufficient or have a formal inspection, which could result in citations and fines, L&I spokesperson Tim Church said.
The department’s primary concern is the safety and health of employees.
“We’ve seen the same videos you’ve seen, but for us to take action, we have to show that those employees are involved and at risk,” Church said. “That’s where we are continuing to gather information. We are trying to determine if this letter provides us what we need.”
The state has enforced COVID-19 safety measures across Washington. Labor and Industries has cited more than 450 employers within the last year for COVID-19 workplace safety and health violations, Church said.
“The total number of violations would be even larger, because some of the employers have been cited for more than one violation,” he said.
The agency has performed 1,701 COVID-related workplace safety and health inspections since March 1, 2020.
This story was originally published April 12, 2021 at 5:45 AM.
