Bishop Gerald Glenn, the pastor of New Deliverance Evangelistic Church in Virginia has died, the church announced on Sunday. Glenn had tested positive for coronavirus, according to a video posted by his daughter Mar-Gerie Crawley.
Despite warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to avoid mass gatherings and maintain social distancing, Glenn said in a sermon on March 22, "I firmly believe that God is larger than this dreaded virus," and announced he was not afraid to die.
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It was the next day that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued his executive order banning all public and private gatherings of 10 people or more.
On April 4, Glenn's daughter posted a video, announcing that both he and his wife, Marcietia Glenn, had tested positive for coronavirus.
The church's post announcing Gerald Glenn's death, asked that others would allow the "First Family to grieve in their own way."
"While they are mourning the heartbreaking earthly absence of their family patriarch & spiritual father, they also have family members who are struggling to survive this dreaded pandemic," the church's Facebook post read.
Final arrangements for Glenn are expected to be made within the next few days, the church said.