A Michigan pastor has encouraged his congregation to contract the deadly coronavirus surging across the state so they can just “get it over with.” Bart Spencer, a senior pastor at Lighthouse Baptist Church in Holland, made the stunning suggestion during a Nov. 14 sermon. “COVID, it’s all good. It’s OK. Get it, get it over with, press on,” he said. More than 9,500 residents in Michigan have died from COVID-19, and Ottawa County, which includes Holland, has a 16.6 percent positive rate. Speaking to reporters, Spencer doubled down on his bonkers suggestion, saying he and several members of his family got COVID-19 and recovered. “It’s not fun,” he said. “I lost my sense of taste and smell, but my bout with the flu was worse.”

Lighthouse Baptist Church is still holding in-person services without masks or social distancing mandates. “We trust our people to make their own decisions,” Spencer said.