HOLLAND, Michigan (KXAN) — A Michigan pastor is taking heat for what’s being called an “irresponsible” sermon he made on Nov. 14 — when he encouraged his congregation to purposely contract COVID-19.

According to area newspaper The Holland Sentinel, senior pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church Bart Spencer, told his congregation:

“COVID, it’s all good. Several people have had COVID, none have died yet. It’s OK. Get it, get it over with, press on.”

A former member of the church posted a portion of the sermon on Facebook, where the video circulated with many noting Spencer’s noticeable cough.

Comments on the video include, “This is irresponsible” and “Don’t be mislead by people like this! It is real and it does kill! Protect yourselves!”

Although he received significant backlash from residents, Spencer told a news station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that he “would never” tell people to go get sick, but that people “destroying their lives” over a “what if” scenario doesn’t “make sense to me logically.”

As of Saturday, the state of Michigan reported 395,036 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 9,854 deaths. Daily confirmed deaths are around 193.