Chicago Pastor Who Saw Religious Persecution Under Communism Determined to Keep His Church Open

His defiance of city's stay-at-home orders draws both praise, criticism

Pastor Florin Cimpean sings with his congregation at Philadelphia Romanian Church of God in Chicago on Sunday, May 17, 2020. Cara Ding/The Epoch Times

CHICAGO—“It’s hard to maintain your faith without a community,” Abigail Cimpean said. She’s among the many religious faithful in Chicago who have defied stay-at-home orders to attend church recently.

It’s not the same sitting at home and watching a sermon on the screen, she told The Epoch Times. “As a community, we lift each other up.”