congregant

In Athens, less than 100 miles south of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Sand Springs Church senior pastor Erick Graham told congregants during a July 9 Bible study that the IRS ruling is “encouraging.”

She also said Gomez was not considering issuing a dispensation for its congregants.

It’s a rare step for a bishop to excuse congregants indefinitely from Sunday mass, said Brett Hoover, professor of theology at Loyola Marymount University.

Most seem to understand the dangers of losing their independence or angering their congregants.

A congregant in his late 20s who has leukemia postponed his chemotherapy, afraid he could be caught and deported to Guatemala.