Jul 20, 2020
Today, a federal District Court ordered expedited briefing on Liberty Counsel’s lawsuit filed in federal court seeking an injunction on behalf of Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry against Governor Gavin Newsom’s unconstitutional COVID-19 orders. The governor’s orders prohibit all indoor worship services, including home Bible studies and fellowships, while encouraging mass gatherings of protestors throughout the state. Gov. Newsom has now been ordered to file a reply to the request for a preliminary injunction by August 3, 2020.
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “We are pleased that the court has set an expedited briefing schedule on the request for a preliminary injunction.”
The lawsuit was filed in the early hours on Saturday. The governor’s office even today is not accepting in-person process service but has provided an email and has now been served the lawsuit.
The lawsuit challenges both the total ban on in-person worship (including in private homes) in the counties on the “County Monitoring List,” and the ban on singing and chanting in the remaining counties.
In addition to in-person worship at Harvest Rock Church, the church also has many “Life Groups,” which are home Bible studies and fellowship groups, which are now prohibited under Gov. Newsom’s recent order.
Harvest International Ministry includes 162 churches in California and 65,000 affiliate churches and ministries worldwide.