LOS ANGELES — Churches across the nation will benefit from the first statewide permanent injunction in the country against COVID-19 restrictions on places of worship after Harvest Rock’s victory against California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Pastor Ché Ahn, founder of Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry, previously received threats of fines and prosecutions among his congregation for each day the church was open. As a result of a recent settlement with Newsom, those fines have been dropped, and California may no longer impose discriminatory restrictions upon houses of worship. The governor must also pay $1,350,000 to reimburse attorney fees and costs.
THOUSANDS OF CHURCHES CLOSED FOR GOOD DURING YEAR BEFORE COVID
Other fines imposed upon churches in the state will now cease.
Calvary Chapel San Jose accrued more than $3 million in fines and the bank that holds the church’s mortgage threatened to demand an immediate $1.2 million payment for a call loan, according to press release by Liberty Counsel, the law firm for Harvest Rock Church. Churches in Santa Clara, Thousand Oaks, and Los Angeles County also incurred fines.
“The dominoes are falling, and churches are being freed from dictatorial and unconstitutional restrictions,” said Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver. “The Supreme Court has intervened multiple times to provide relief. As a result, there will be more restrictions lifted and charges dropped for churches in the near future.”
A similar scenario has played out across the nation.
Maine now has the dubious distinction of imposing the most severe restrictions on churches although the governor has allowed many commercial and nonreligious gatherings without restrictions or threat of criminal sanctions. Places of worship are limited to no more than 50 people regardless of the size of the building. As a result, Calvary Chapel of Bangor filed an emergency injunction with the Supreme Court while awaiting a ruling on its lawsuit, Liberty Counsel said.
In Illinois, Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church and Logos Baptist Ministries filed a federal lawsuit against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive order limiting church attendance to 10 people. While the order has been rescinded, Pritzker said he should be able to impose the order in the future if needed.
In Virginia, police served a summons on Palm Sunday last year to the pastor of Lighthouse Fellowship Church for holding a service with 16 people in a sanctuary built to hold 293. Under the governor’s original order, the church could hold meetings with an unlimited number of people to feed, shelter, and provide social services, but religious services were restricted to no more than 10 people. The penalty was up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. Virginia has since dropped the criminal charges against the pastor, Liberty Counsel said.
Lastly, in Kentucky, Liberty Counsel won an injunction granting parking lot and in-person services on behalf of Maryville Baptist Church. The governor issued orders in March 2020 prohibiting all religious services while allowing many secular events. Under the orders, the church could hold meetings to feed, shelter, and provide social services to an unlimited number of people, but religious services were banned in the same building where non-religious services could be held, Liberty Counsel said.
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court granted an emergency petition for an injunction pending appeal on behalf of New York City synagogues and Roman Catholic churches. The Court also granted a petition by Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry, setting aside all lower court orders and directing them to follow its ruling in New York case. When the lower courts refused to strike down California’s restrictions, the case returned to the Supreme Court.
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The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry on Feb. 5 regarding California’s total ban on indoor worship.
