California has gone off the deep end when it comes to attacks on churches

There is an open assault on people of faith—California has gone off the deep end when it comes to attacks on churches

By Mat Staver (Founder and Chairman, Liberty Counsel)

There is an open assault on people of faith in many parts of the country by governors who encourage rioters and protestors while restricting, even criminally charging, pastors, churches and parishioners who gather for worship. In California, for instance, churches and pastors are now being held in contempt and fined for having worship services. ALL WORSHIP is banned for most of the state. There are many shocking developments I want to share. – Mat Staver

California has gone off the deep end when it comes to attacks on churches. On July 6, Gov. Gavin Newsom banned singing and chanting. Then on July 13, he BANNED ALL WORSHIP, and this includes Bible studies and fellowship in private homes with anyone who does not live in the home.

Violations of Gov. Newsom’s orders come with criminal charges of up to one year in prison and daily fines of 1,000 dollars.

These orders are now being enforced against pastors, churches, and even parishioners.

All the facts below – and more – are a matter of public record…

• Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church is facing tens of thousands of dollars in fines by Los Angeles County, and this is just the beginning of the fines. The County also revoked his lease on a parking lot the church has used for 45-years. Continued meetings will increase the fines and Pastor MacArthur could go to jail.
   
• Pastor Ché Ahn, Harvest Rock Church, its staff and parishioners have been threatened with daily criminal charges and fines of 1,000 dollars per day. Each criminal charge comes with up to one year in prison. This threat was sent to our client in a letter from the Pasadena Prosecutor. These criminal threats also apply to the church’s home fellowship Life Groups. Our case is now at the Court of Appeals.
   
• Pastor Rob McCoy of Godspeak Calvary Chapel was held in contempt, and the church is now being fined every time it meets. The next step could be jail for the pastor and former mayor of Thousand Oaks, California. This is the same pastor who in 2018 consoled and prayed with the families of victims at the mass shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill.
   
• Pastor Jack Trieber of North Valley Baptist Church has been fined 5,000 dollars per service for “singing,” and now the church faces over 100,000 dollars in fines. This church is in one of the few counties where limited worship is permitted, but no singing. The city sent spies to the church over the summer, and then posted a letter at the church demanding it cease and desist, stating the church is “unlawful.” 

There are many more churches being attacked, and likely many more fines and criminal charges to come – not just for the brave pastors and congregants I have mentioned, but for the growing number of churches that have decided to TAKE A STAND against CA Gov. Gavin Newsom’s illegal and unconstitutional restrictions against religion.

Here are the actual, verifiable facts about Newsom’s orders:

On July 6, Gov. Newsom issued a “Worship Guidance” document which states unequivocally, “Places of worship must therefore discontinue singing and chanting activities and limit indoor attendance to 25% of building capacity or a maximum of 100 attendees.”

On July 13, Gov. Newsom banned ALL WORSHIP for any county on the County Monitoring List, which covers about 80 percent of the population. This “no worship” ban includes private homes with anyone who does not live in the home.

On August 31, Gov. Newsom issued his “Blueprint” that even more clearly reveals his discrimination against churches and worship for most of the state. In every one of his newly minted Tiers, he gives preferential treatment to nonreligious gatherings in Museums, Gyms, Fitness Centers, Family Entertainment Centers, Cardrooms, Satellite Wagering, Laundromats, Malls, Destination Centers, Swap Meets, and more.

Gov. Newsom’s orders affect all churches and places of worship, even home Bible studies and fellowship. It is now even worse than “no singing” because all in-person worship is banned, including home Bible studies and fellowship with anyone who does not live in the home.

Imagine this – it is criminal in California to go to your neighbor’s home to pray with them or have a Bible study.

To various degrees, what I described in California is still happening in many states. The same governors who love abortion and encourage protestors suppress the church and people of faith. Their agenda is obvious.

Please, stand with us now as we defend the many churches and pastors around the nation under attack for exercising their RIGHT to worship God.

We now have six federal lawsuits pending at the Courts of Appeal against some of the most egregious anti-Church governors – those of Maine, Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, California, and Colorado. And our Illinois case involving outrageous bullying against our Romanian church clients will be the first church case presented to the U.S. Supreme Court to consider for a full review. We WILL ensure that Americans retain their unalienable, constitutional RIGHT to worship according to their consciences instead of according to the whims of anti-god governors!

Finally, please be in prayer for the pastors, churches, and faithful Christians under attack by lawless governors intent on silencing God’s word and shuttering His churches.

Mat Staver,
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel
 
P.S. Liberty Counsel is now fighting SIX federal lawsuits against lawless governors and anti-church bureaucrats seeking to silence God’s people and shutter God’s churches. This work continues even as we battle for Judge Barrett to fill the seat left open by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing.

P.P.S. Also, our church closure cases will soon come before the Supreme Court. However, if the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat is not filled by the Senate ASAP, then lower court rulings will stand, and America’s religious freedom could be lost. Please take a moment RIGHT NOW to fax the Senate and tell them to FILL THAT SEAT…with Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Select here or the button below.

(Editor’s Note: For a limited time, every donation to Liberty Counsel will be doubled. Go to: STAND for religious freedom! – Select here or the button below.)