Confusion grows in Des Plaines over religious ‘Big Tent Revival’ meetings amid pandemic

DES PLAINES, Ill. – Concern is growing in Des Plaines over a large religious event being held amid the pandemic.

Members of “The Last Reformation” group are hosting what they call “Big Tent Revival” meetings this week.

The community is wondering how they got permission to hold the meetings and it’s proving to be a bit of a mystery.

For the next six days, the worship meetings are being held at the Methodist Campground.

Torben Sondergaard seems to be the man behind the “Big Tent Revival Meetings.”

“Come and join us outside Chicago,” Sondergaard said in a video. “I wanna let you guys know it’s gonna be jampacked here, okay.”

Residents are concerned about a spike in COVID-19 cases as a result of the meetings.

Des Plaines resident Tria Robinson lives in the city and wants to know how all of this got approved.

“I think it’s dangerous because we are in the middle of a pandemic,” she said. “If our city officials don’t know about it, who wrote it out and where did it come from?

WGN asked that question too and did not get any answers. Our calls to organizers have not been returned.

Other churches in area have been following strict guidelines laid out by the state and the archdiocese.