California Court Rules in Favor of LA Church Having Indoor Services

Hallelujah! There’s victory in Jesus!

A Superior Court judge in California on Friday allowed  Pastor John MacArthur of  Grace Community Church in Los Angeles to hold indoor in-person services defying Gov. Gavin Newsom’s insane coronavirus restrictions, which included banning singing in houses of worship.

The state of California literally tried to stop Christians from praising God with their lips but instead of bowing down to political correctness, Pastor John Macarthur bows down to  God and as a good shepherd he fought for his congregant’s Constitutional rights to assemble and worship freely.

BREAKING NEWS: UPDATE: Judge Allows Indoor Services, No Attendance Cap After John MacArthur Files Lawsuit Against CA State Officials https://t.co/Ena7izlzRf

— CBN News (@CBNNews) August 14, 2020

It’s an important win for freedom & for our Constitutional right to assemble & worship. Yesterday, a CA judge ruled that @GraceComChurch has the right to have indoor worship services & doesn’t have to adhere to an attendance cap or ban on singing. https://t.co/hDPUDPqu9v

— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) August 15, 2020

Judge Allows Indoor Services https://t.co/d1J5gf4K9K

— John MacArthur (@johnmacarthur) August 15, 2020

Fox News had this to say about Grace Community Church allowed to hold indoor services again:

A judge in California on Friday allowed a prominent pastor in Los Angeles to hold indoor in-person services despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s coronavirus restrictions, including banning singing in houses of worship.

Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church expressed his gratitude to Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant whose order requires congregants wear masks and practice social distancing.

“I am very grateful the court has allowed us to meet inside and we are happy for a few weeks to comply and respect what the judge has asked of us because he is allowing is to meet,” MacAruther said in a statement. “This vindicates our desire to stay open and serve our people. This also gives us an opportunity to show that we are not trying to be rebellious or unreasonable, but that we will stand firm to protect our church against unreasonable, unconstitutional restrictions.”

Los Angeles County had sought a court order barring Grace Community Church from holding in-person services, arguing that they were an immediate health threat.

“Los Angeles County’s first and only objective is to save lives and protect the health of our residents and communities,” county officials said in a statement, adding that “we will continue to work through the legal system to ensure that the health officer orders are upheld, as these are the best tools we currently have to slow the spread of this lethal virus.”

The judge set a September hearing on the county’s request for a preliminary injunction barring the church from holding indoor services.

Thomas More Society special counsel Jenna Ellis, who is representing the pastor along with the Rancho Sante Fe-law firm of LiMandri & Jonna, points out Los Angeles County, in its appeal, makes “several false claims,” including that the order “allows ALL churches to open indoors” and that “without evidence thousands WILL BE exposed to [COVID-19].”

Earlier this month, MacArhur told “Fox News @ Night” he began holding indoor services in the form of “peaceful protest” at his Sun Valley church, despite being warned he could face fines or arrest.

“We feel like we are the most essential reality in the world,” MacArthur told host Shannon Bream. “Look, Jesus is Lord … He is the head of our church. Gov. Newsom is not the head of the church. [Los Angeles] Mayor [Eric] Garcetti is not the head of the church.”

The Rev. Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, celebrated MacArthur’s victory as “an important win for freedom [and] for our Constitutional right to assemble [and] worship,” in a tweet Saturday.

https://twitter.com/toddstarnes/status/1294372884748656640

US News had this to say about the court ruling in favor of the Church:

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge on Friday allowed a Los Angeles church to hold indoor services despite coronavirus health orders as long as it practices safety measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing.

Los Angeles County had sought a court order barring Grace Community Church from holding the services, arguing that they were an immediate health threat.

But Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant restricted his order to a requirement that worshipers wear masks and practice social distancing. He also set a September hearing on the county’s request for a preliminary injunction barring the church from holding indoor services at its building in the Sun Valley neighborhood or anywhere else in the state.

“I am very grateful the court has allowed us to meet inside and we are happy for a few weeks to comply and respect what the judge has asked of us,” Pastor John MacArthur said in a statement. “This vindicates our desire to stay open and serve our people.”

“We will stand firm to protect our church against unreasonable, unconstitutional restrictions,” he said.

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MacArthur has been holding services in recent weeks attended by throngs of worshipers in defiance of state and county limits on indoor gatherings. Those health orders aim to reduce the spread of COVID-19 but Grace and a few other churches consider them excessive and assaults on freedom of religion.

The church sued Gov. Gavin Newsom and other officials this week and Los Angeles County counter-sued.

“Los Angeles County’s first and only objective is to save lives and protect the health of our residents and communities,” county officials said in a statement, adding that “we will continue to work through the legal system to ensure that the health officer orders are upheld, as these are the best tools we currently have to slow the spread of this lethal virus.”