Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California, is under fire for holding services without state approval. Photo courtesy PJMedia.

For the past several months Democrat controlled states have been using the corona virus as a smoke screen to steal your Constitutionally guaranteed rights, including the liberty to practice your religious faith. This has all been done, not by a law passed by the state legislature, but by executive orders issued by governors across America. Most have complied, initially, if not totally, out of concern, obedience to civil authority and even courtesy in deference even when death rates did not match up to restrictions.

Pastor John MacArthur. MacArthur says, “churches are coming under assault from our own government…”

One man has stood up publicly and defied those orders. That man is Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California. The megachurch MacArthur pastors closed its doors in mid-March because of the corona virus scare. The church planned to reopen in May but that was thwarted when a federal court upheld California’s ban on indoor church services.

Finally, the church reopened its doors in late July and people started to return, slowly. Soon the church had several thousand people inside for services.

The rub came in a July 29th order where the California governor demanded all churches and other houses of worship must limit their gatherings to the lower of either 100 people or 25% of the building occupancy rating. To disobey the order came with arrest or a fine of $1000 per day.

MacArthur could not comply with that order. As a result the church was taken to court several times during the past six weeks. Following the fourth attempt to shut down the church in mid August, MacArthur Tweeted, “It should shock the conscience of every Christian that churches are coming under assault from our own government simply for holding church.”

“It should shock the conscience of every Christian that churches are coming under assault from our own government simply for holding church.” — John MacArthur, Pastor, Grace Community Church

On September 10th, a temporary restraining order was issued against the church by Superior Court Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff, barring the church from holding indoor services. Beckloff, cited serious threat to public health as justifiable to close down the church.

MacArthur tweeted, “We’re under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Church isn’t a building it is the fellow-shipping of believer’s around the teaching of God’s Word. That fellowship can’t happen online or across dozens of outdoor, distanced services.”

On May 21, 2020 President Donald Trump held a press conference where he said:

At my direction the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is issuing guidance for communities of faith. Today I’m identifying houses of worship, churches, synagogues, mosques, as essential places that provide essential services.

Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential but have left out churches and houses of worship. It’s not right. So I’m correcting this injustice and calling houses of worship essential. I call upon governors to allow our churches and places of worship to open right now.

If there’s any question they’re going to have to call me, but they’re not going to be successful in that call. These are places that hold our society together and keep our people united. The people are demanding to go to church and synagogue, go to their mosque.

Many millions of Americans embrace worship as an essential part of life. The ministers, pastors, rabbis, imams and other faith leaders will make sure their congregations are safe as they gather and pray.

The governors need to do the right thing and allow these very important essential places of faith to open right now for this weekend. If they don’t do it I will override the governors. In America we need more prayer, not less.

President Trump said that “the church is essential.”

In that statement President Trump said that “the church is essential.” MacArthur has spoken with President Trump and says, he is assured that the President supports him in standing against the unlawful orders.

MacArthur defied the court order on September 13th, and held a church meeting to detail why the church would not comply with the California Governor’s demands.

A letter was sent to the church threatening arrest and fines if the church met together in defiance of the order. Those fines are in excess of $25,000 now.

In a live broadcast of the church meeting on the 13th, Pastor MacArthur said the question has been asked, “why doesn’t the church just comply with the orders laid down for churches.” He said the basic orders would be “utterly impossible” to comply with.

He listed those orders from the California Governor as follows:

• No indoor meetings at all
• Pre-registration of all people who want to come to the church meeting
• Attendees only allowed on property for scheduled events
• All attendees on property must be screened
• Temperature must be taken at entry to the church
• Maintain six feet distance everywhere at all times including parking lot and rest rooms
• Every other parking space must be left vacant
• Marked pathways for maintaining social distance
• All attendees must wear masks
• Restrooms must have monitors to control six feet social distancing
• Tape on ground to mark distance
• Signs indicating CoVid mandates
• Restroom use encouraged during service to minimize rush
• No hymn books
• No communion
• No offering plates
• No hugging
• No singing
• No pew Bibles
• No hand shaking
• Disposable seat covers must be used and changed between services
• Services must be shortened
• Attendees can only meet in the tent with maximum 350-400 people
• Attendees must self quarantine for two weeks if in contact for more than 15 minutes

He said, These requirements would “completely shut down the church.” This would have the chilling effect of the state controlling the church and religious liberty.

What Pastor MacArthur did not say was that the Judge ruled the Church could “only” have services outdoors. As a side note for outdoor services, the week of the court ruling the temperature had been 114 degrees Sunday the 6th (the week prior), and in the 90’s on Sunday the 13th. That might be challenging for most people today, especially older folk.

That does not mention the ashes floating down from nearby wildfires. Additionally, on August 31st, Los Angeles County evicted the Church from land they have leased for 45 years and used as a parking lot, effective October 1st.

Attorney, Jenna Ellis, is defending Pastor John MacArthur. She is also President Trump’s Legal advisor.

If you think this is harassment and retaliation, so did Attorney Jenna Ellis who represents the church. She issued a statement to the County saying:

“Los Angeles County is retaliating against Grace Community Church for simply exercising their constitutionally protected right to hold church and challenging an unreasonable, unlawful health order.”

Ellis, who is Special Counsel to the Thomas More Society, continued:

“In America, we have a judicial system to ensure that the executive branch does not abuse its power, and Grace Community Church has every right to be heard without fear of reprisal. The Democrats’ message to Americans is clear––if you don’t bow to every whim of tyranny, the government will come after you. The Church has peacefully held this lease for 45 years and the only reason the County is attempting eviction is because John MacArthur stood up to their unconstitutional power grab. This is harassment, abusive, and unconscionable.”

Meanwhile, nearby Hollywood continues to film pornography and snuff films, produce and promote pedophile movies that abuse and traffic children and adults, allows drugs to run rampant, has tens of thousands living in tent cities defecating in public, has a porous border and the crime it brings, and more.

“In America, we have a judicial system to ensure that the executive branch does not abuse its power… without fear of reprisal…” — Jenna Ellis, Attorney

California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Photo courtesy San Francisco Chronicle

Los Angeles County and Governor Gavin Newsom have chosen to challenge the Grace Community Church and Pastor John MacArthur at a time when the corona virus is on the decline. Out of all the small churches that resist this unconstitutional order, Why MacArthur’s church? Simply, Grace Community Church is big, influential, has money power, and it’s dangerous to big government tyranny! This is especially so when a pastor is influential in church circles and has the guts to stand up to tyrannical acts.

The venerable Pastor MacArthur said, “Obviously this is not constitutional.” But, more importantly, “it goes against the will of the LORD of the church.”

Michael Reed is Editor of The Standard. 

Please “like”, comment, share with a friend, and donate to support The Standard on this page.