KY Gov. Andy Beshear had the audacity to tell three judges on the Court of Appeals, a lower federal judge and his own attorney general that HE alone has authority to restrict churches. It didn’t go over well. Read on to learn how we've stopped him...for now. -Mat

Three times, Liberty Counsel has defeated KY Gov. Andy Beshear’s unconstitutional church restrictions. But Kentucky’s governor still refuses to learn his lesson.

Gov. Beshear is the picture of defiance these days. Having already been ordered not once, not twice, but three times to stop his war on Christians for attending church, Beshear tried again last month... and failed once more... to convince the courts to allow his flagrant abuse of Christians’ rights.

As you know, Liberty Counsel represents Maryville Baptist Church in Kentucky, whose attendees had been put on the equivalent of a 14-day house arrest for attending a stay-in-your-own-car parking lot Easter Sunday service.

Gov. Beshear had already been warned about interfering with churches in another Kentucky county when he sent the State Police to Maryville Baptist Church. Gov. Beshear should have taken that county court’s order against the mayor of Louisville as a clear indication that he dare not harass Christians. Instead, he defiantly put our clients under the equivalent of house arrest.

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Liberty Counsel dragged Gov. Beshear to court. The Court of Appeals granted us two 3-0 emergency injunctions pending appeal. Then the lower federal court granted us a preliminary injunction. Three strikes and you’re out!  But not for the defiant Beshear!

On March 19 and 25, Gov. Beshear signed executive orders prohibiting ALL religious services in Kentucky, while allowing many secular businesses like liquor stores, abortion clinics and big-box shopping centers to stay open and operate largely unrestricted.

As if to emphasize his blatant discrimination against Christians, Beshear further mandated that churches could host innumerable people for food, shelter or social services like job training, but the very same people, in the very same church building, could not open the Bible, preach the Word, or worship God.

The governor’s own Attorney General, Daniel Cameron, filed a brief against him in support of our case. U.S. Attorney General William Barr also warned governors to not violate the First Amendment rights of churches. The courts ruled against Gov. Beshear three times – once in the lower federal court and twice in the Court of Appeals. The two 3-0 appellate rulings led the country and set national precedent.

But Gov. Beshear didn’t care. During our recent argument at the Court of Appeals, he insisted that the four judges who ruled against him and his own attorney general were wrong. He requested that ALL THESE COURT DECISIONS be reversed so he could once again go after churches. The governor insists that he, and he alone, should decide if, when, and how Christians should be allowed to worship God in Kentucky.

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The First Amendment guarantees the God-given, unalienable RIGHT to the free exercise of religion without government interference. The landmark 1947 Supreme Court case Everson vs. Board of Education further protects religious liberty by plainly stating that no government may keep a person away from church against his will.

This week we received a third ruling from the Court of Appeals, stating the injunction we won remains intact. The court even said that if we need to return, the doors are open and the same three judges will quickly hear our case.

But, sadly, Gov. Beshear is not done. He plans on taking his worn-out argument to the lower federal court. He wants the injunction dissolved so he can return to his unconstitutional past actions. In other words, he wants the court’s leash removed so he can once again persecute Christians and ban church attendance.

Although the Court of Appeals has ruled against Gov. Beshear three times, this case is, unfortunately, far from over. An emergency injunction only prevents the governor from enacting his tyrannies UNTIL the full merits of the case can be heard, or until the injunction is dissolved. This is now our next battle with this tyrant.

Liberty Counsel must continue defending Maryville Baptist Church, Pastor Dr. Jack Roberts, and the church’s congregants until a final decision can be rendered. The good news is the powerful decisions of the Court of Appeals remain in place as precedent.

This fight is for every person’s RIGHT to worship...including yours.

This month, Liberty Counsel requested the U.S. Supreme Court hear our case representing Romanian churches in Illinois against Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Chicago mayor. They threatened to seize and destroy the church should they continue to meet with more than 10 people. Much like Beshear, Pritzker also refuses to renounce his past bullying of Christians.

Given Gov. Beshear’s continued defiance, Liberty Counsel will be continuing the battle against him, perhaps all the way to the Supreme Court.

This fight to guarantee YOUR right to attend church and worship will be a long and expensive one. Though Liberty Counsel is among the nation’s top religious freedom legal ministries, we are not a large organization with deep pockets.

But we will not stop fighting until religious freedom is fully restored in the United States. This fight is very expensive, and we never charge our clients.

That’s why it is so critically important that you take advantage of the challenge grant which will DOUBLE THE IMPACT of every donation made today. I do not exaggerate when I say this fight will take every bit of support we can muster, including yours. Please, make your best possible gift for religious freedom TODAY.

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And please be in prayer for our attorneys and staff. These legal warriors are working around the clock, seven days a week, fighting to keep religious freedom free. Pray for divine protection from attacks of the enemy, healing when our bodies and brains need rest and wisdom to guide us in this battle.

Please also pray for each of the brave pastors and churches we represent. These faithful shepherds wake up every morning wondering if they will be thrown in jail that day for serving their flock and worshipping God.

Finally, pray for America. We never dreamed our own government officials would try to steal our God-given, unalienable and constitutionally guaranteed RIGHT to attend church, but it has come to that.

Mat Staver,
Founder and Chairman

P.S. Please don't let the opportunity to DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT pass you by. Please, accept the challenge and make your best donation today. America's pastors and churches are relying on YOU, a faithful Liberty Counsel supporter, to help ensure religious freedom remains FREE! Select here or the button below.