The bullying and harassment continues. Since the church first began meeting in-person and defying local lockdown orders in July, Los Angeles County officials have threatened fines, arrest, and even terminated the lease held between the church and the county for parking lot space claiming health and safety concerns. On Thursday, a Los Angeles superior court judge again ruled against LA County, delaying a decision on whether or not to find Grace Community Church … : Not much of a stretch. LA County just wants to shut down church. The scale should always tip in favor of liberty, especially for churches.”, The Thomas More Society also said that they will appeal it to “ultimately vindicate our clients’ constitutionally protected right to free exercise of religion.”. December 29, 2020, Correction: Mark Driscoll Did Get a Severance and At Least Once Wore a Bulletproof Vest, California Judge Denies LA County Request for Restraining Order Against Grace Community Church But Affirms County’s Right to Forbid Indoor Worship. This is an update on the situation with Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in their clash with the CA Government. We will fight for religious freedom, as our founders did when they wrote the First Amendment.”. Copyright © 2020 The Federalist, a wholly independent division of FDRLST Media, All Rights Reserved. : More recently: Judge denies L.A. County's request to stop Grace Community Church from gathering Jaclyn Cosgrove 8/25/2020 Georgia runoff poll worker recruitment faces holiday and Covid challenges Nor do we believe that the court gave adequate consideration to the fact that churches have been treated as second-class citizens compared to the tens of thousands of protestors,” LiMandri said. On Thursday it … UPDATE: Despite the ruling of the appeals court, Grace Community Church is gathering for worship services this morning. Grace Community Church. “More than ever, California’s churches are essential,” LiMandri agreed. It’s clear the City of Philadelphia is far more anxious to punish the free exercise of religion than to serve its most vulnerable children. By Katy Grimes, August 15, 2020 7:46 am A California superior court ruled in favor of the First Amendment and Pastor John MacArthur and Grace Community Church this week, while smacking down Los Angeles County officials. The church, led by Pastor John MacArthur, filed a suit against the county in response and that case is awaiting trial in Burbank Superior Court. The heavyweight constitutional battle between Los Angeles County and Pastor John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church continues, with LA County scoring the latest victory. Judge Beckloff has ruled to uphold Grace Community Church’s religious freedom against the county of Los Angelas on multiple occasions, finding there is … California’s Grace Community Church, pastored by well-known Bible teacher John MacArthur, has to stop holding indoor services, following a court ruling, today. SUN VALLEY, CA — Grace Community Church continues to fight for the right to hold indoor worship during the coronavirus pandemic. At the 8:30am hearing, both sides presented their arguments and the Judge Beckloff took the request for a temporary restraining order under submission. They already worship a God and Christ who are basically Cosmic Donald... : Doesn't "Carone" sound a lot like "Karen"? Despite the court’s ruling, Pastor John MacArthur told Fox News’s Shannon Bream on Thursday night that the church would still be meeting. Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff of the Los Angeles Superior Court issued a preliminary injunction Thursday that prohibits Pastor John MacArthur and Grace Community Church from “conducting, participating in, or attending any indoor worship services.” The ban also extends to services held outside “unless onerous restrictions are followed.”. Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church expressed his gratitude to Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant whose order requires congregants wear … L.A. County asked the Superior Court to make a ruling on Grace Community Church’s refusal to comply with pandemic health orders. : Yep. The Los Angeles County Superior Court announced on August 20, 2020, that there is no court order prohibiting Pastor John MacArthur and Grace Community Church from holding indoor worship services. Sounds like Calvary Chapel, AKA God's ONLY True... Eric Metaxas Named in Defamation Suit by Dominion Voting Systems Employee, Eric Metaxas Predicts Bumpy Ride to Second Trump Inauguration; Bonhoeffer Partners with My Pillow, Another COVID-19 Outbreak at John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church – UPDATED, YouTube Removes Eric Metaxas’ Biden Parody Video. On Thursday, a judge ruled that the county could shut down the church, issuing a preliminary injunction prohibiting the church from holding indoor services until the case gets sorted out in the courts. On August 12th Los Angeles County filed charges prohibiting Grace Community Church from holding religious services. Last Updated Oct 14th, 2020 at 3:16 pm. This is a breaking news. A Sun Valley church was planning to hold an indoor service Sunday in defiance of a court order. He is teaching something false,” Hemingway said. The ruling fails to apply the appropriate constitutional standard of review, according to Thomas More Society attorneys representing MacArthur and Grace Community Church. Biden has promised to grant transgender students' privi, Sen. Josh Hawley slammed Walmart on Wednesday after an, The lawsuit alleges Twitter defamed the computer store, Judge Grants Injunction Barring Grace Community Church From Constitutional Right To Worship, Chuck Schumer Endorses Biden’s Plan To Force Public Schools To Allow Males In Female Bathrooms, After Walmart Twitter Account Attacks GOP Sen. Josh Hawley, #BoycottWalmart Trends On Twitter, Hunter Biden Laptop Lawsuit Gives Twitter Unpleasant Legal Choices, In 2021, Watch What The Supreme Court Does With Philadelphia’s Ban On Christians Parenting Foster Children, It’s Not Nancy Pelosi’s Job To Tell Christians What They Are Allowed To Believe, DC Archdiocese Sues DC Mayor Over ‘Arbitrary’ COVID-19 Restrictions, Hemingway: Governor Ralph Northam Has No Right To Dictate The Theology Of Virginia Residents, Supreme Court Smacks Down California Gov. "Albuquerque megachurches fined $10K for violating public health orders"... : Basically, you have to meet because GAWD says so. Court Affirms Right Of California Church To Meet Indoors August 21, 2020 By Jordan Davidson Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California is … This is NOT about health. A California judge on Thursday issued an injunction prohibiting John MacArthur and Grace Community Church from meeting indoors for worship services during the pandemic, thus handing Los Angeles County the ruling it has sought for several weeks. Gavin Newsom’s coronavirus restrictions violate the First Amendment right to worship. “Nor is that what God says, who gave us our rights that our government—including the judicial branch—is supposed to protect. After influential pastor John MacArthur and his Grace Community Church brought a lawsuit against the state of California over orders stipulating that churches may not meet for indoor services, a judge has ruled that the church can hold worship services, with singing and without an attendance cap, until the full hearing in September. The County’s argument was basically ‘because we can,’ which is the very definition of tyranny,” Ellis said. Jordan Davidson is a staff writer at The Federalist. “Church is essential, and no government agent has the runaway, unlimited power to force churches to close indefinitely. “They don’t want us to meet, that’s obvious,” MacArthur said after the county secured a stay of the trial court ruling in August that would have allowed the congregation to meet indoors with masks and social distancing. Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff of the Los Angeles Superior Court issued a preliminary injunction Thursday that prohibits Pastor John MacArthur and Grace Community Church from … Calvary Chapel joined the Trump Train without a second thought. The Los Angeles megachurch closed its doors in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. “The court also did not properly consider the medical and scientific evidence that the current number of people with serious COVID-19 symptoms no longer justifies a shuttering of the churches. Update MacArthur has told a Foxnews interviewer that his church will meet this Sunday “as before”, presumably meaning inside, in defiance of the court injunction, The church operated as if it was business as usual once again on Sunday, with Pastor John MacArthur preaching to a … A $1000 fine issued by Los Angeles County was also imposed on the church this week for signs asking congregants to refrain from entering if they were experiencing “an elevated temperature, a cough, or any flu-like symptoms.” According to the county, the signs were not placed at the proper entrances and exits and did not contain instructions asking people to “wash hands or use sanitizer, to wear face coverings and to maintain social distancing.”. The renowned minister and his Sun Valley, California, congregation are being targeted by the County of Los Angeles, which has made repeated attempts to shut down the non-denominational, … Grace Community Church Orchids to First Responders Over the weekend, our church distributed a generous donation of more that 5,400 orchid plants to hospitals … Today before the Honorable Mitchell L. Beckloff, LA County applied again for a restraining order which would prevent Grace Community Church from holding indoor services. California Appeals Court Upholds LA County Ban on Indoor Worship Services. Special counsel Jenna Ellis and Charles LiMandri expressed their disappointment in Thursday ruling, claiming that the court “ducked the issue” and failed “to apply the appropriate constitutional standard of review.” They also explained their belief that the church was held to a different standard than other activities during COVID-19 lockdowns. ‘The celebration of Mass … is the center of the whole of Christian life for the Church both universal and local, as well as for each of the faithful individually.’. Apparently signs asking people not to enter if they have an elevated temperature or symptoms of Covid (located at every entrance & exit) aren’t good enough for LA County. An injunction has been issued against John MacArthur and his California church preventing them from holding indoor worship services for now. Courts: No Current Order Barring Grace Church From Indoor Worship - North Hollywood-Toluca Lake, CA - County attorneys are seeking to impose sanctions of up to … What the Supreme Court decides in this case in 2021 will have huge ramifications. But a local judge decided in favor of Grace Community Church to allow religious service if congregants wore face coverings and practiced social distancing. “Although this is a temporary setback, we will continue to fight for Pastor MacArthur and Grace Community Church’s constitutionally protected right to hold church,” Ellis promised. UPDATE 2: You can read our recap of what Dr. John MacArthur said this morning here. This opinion by the court, according to Ellis and LiMandri, shows that the church was unfairly targeted. Gavin Newsom, Tells Him To Stop Targeting Churches. Grace Community Church and Pastor MacArthur have been in a legal battle with the county over the restrictions. Grace Community Church Pastor John MacArthur preaches on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020. Check back for updates. The Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction against Grace Community Church and Pastor John MacArthur that prohibits the church from "conducting, participating in, … That is not what our founders said,” said MacArthur. Christ, not Caesar, Is Head of the Church Grace Community Church. According to the minute orders available from the County of LA court website, the judge ruled that the “Defendants (Grace Community Church) request for ‘expedited preliminary injunction discovery’ and a continuance of the hearing is denied.” SCOTUS gave a partial victory to a California church arguing that Gov. She graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism. https://t.co/bJLEm7PCEL pic.twitter.com/6DKqi9tEI8, — Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) September 9, 2020. The hypocritical ruling class has a nasty habit of trying to redefine Christian belief and religious practice. “Northam is due honor and respect as a politician, but overstepped his role by being a teacher in the church. Grace Community Church Pastor John MacArthur said in a statement that “we are happy for a few weeks to comply and respect what the judge has … “Without limiting government’s power in favor of freedom and protected rights, we have no liberty. “1/100th of 1 percent of Californians with a virus apparently wins over the U.S. Constitution and religious freedom for all? The service was held in defiance of an appellate court’s order prohibiting the Sun Valley church … L.A. County sued Grace Community Church on Aug. 14 after it began holding indoor services on Sundays. 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