California is seeking a restraining order against Grace Community Church and its Pastor John MacArthur after the pastor defied a California measure restricting indoor church services.
Legal Counsel Jenna Ellis, who is also one of President Trump’s personal attorneys, joined MacArthur on the Daily Wire’s Andrew Klavan show to further explain what the restraining order includes:
“We just got notice from the county attorney that L.A. County is now seeking a temporary restraining order for two things,” Ellis said. “They’re trying even this Sunday — so the hearing’s going to be tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time — they are seeking to restrain Grace Community Church from allowing any form of indoor worship and also outdoor worship that does not comply with its ridiculous mandates.”
Ellis explained that she asked the health department to read the lawsuit:
“We feel that we have really good arguments under the Constitution. Maybe this will help them understand our position more.’ Well, no, they didn’t even hear it. They just went out, they are trying to restrain Grace Community Church and we, of course, will defend their constitutionally protected rights.”
The video can be seen here:
Ellis further argued that MacArthur is not breaking the law but rather that the law of America is being compromised by California’s restrictions:
“This is not Pastor John and Grace Community Church defying the law. The law in America and the state of California is the Constitution and those protections. This is Grace Community Church standing on the side of the law against these overreaching tyrants that are defying their oaths of office when they are commanded, mandated by the Constitution to preserve and protect our right to free exercise of religion.”
MacArthur has been making headlines over the past couple of weeks beginning when he published a declaration in which he said that “Christ, not Ceasar, is head of the Church.”
“Therefore, in response to the recent state order requiring churches in California to limit or suspend all meetings indefinitely, we, the pastors and elders of Grace Community Church, respectfully inform our civic leaders that they have exceeded their legitimate jurisdiction, and faithfulness to Christ prohibits us from observing the restrictions they want to impose on our corporate worship services.”
MacArthur’s church has been open for two weeks now and he plans to continue holding open services indefinitely.
Ellis has been loyal to the religious liberty cause for all religions, sometimes by taking legal action and sometimes by endorsing a short but poignant tweet:
Accurate. https://t.co/wLssVIv2oV
— Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) August 13, 2020
The homeless (the City!) are still in violation. I guess they are immune. Violent protests , riots and looting continue. Elderly were sent back to nursing homes sick. But let’s go after the church?