Outrage at “No Church Order” case goes international

Newsweek, New York Post, National Review, CBN, Fox News, and more have all covered it. And this includes many news outlets worldwide.

Millions on social media have been astonished and outraged to learn that Maine’s high court just barred a 13-year-old girl who loves Jesus from attending ANY church, being “exposed to the Bible,” or even associating with her Christian friends.

Emily Bickford and her daughter, Ava, have spent two years fighting one of the most troubling parental rights and religious freedom cases in the country.

Maine’s Supreme Court rejected the First Amendment right of a fit parent to raise her child consistent with her Christian faith.

Liberty Counsel is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to reverse this outrageous assault on religious liberty and parental rights.

Will you send a generous contribution today to help take Emily and Ava's legal fight to our nation’s high court?

Every donation made to our legal fund today will be DOUBLED by a special Challenge Grant.

The controversy began after Ava expressed a desire to be baptized.

What followed was a custody dispute that resulted in a court order giving Ava's father — an atheist — complete authority over her religious upbringing and restricting Emily from taking her daughter to church, exposing her to religious teachings, or even allowing contact with church friends.

The order violates both parental rights and religious freedom protections guaranteed by the Constitution. It goes against state court decisions and U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

But for Emily and Ava, this isn’t an abstract legal debate. It’s a daily reality. A fit mother has been prohibited from taking her now-13-year-old daughter to church. A young girl who wanted to attend church and grow in her beliefs has been prevented from doing so while the legal battle continues. 

Let me give you an example taken directly from actual text exchanges between the mother, Emily Bickford, and the father, Matthew Bradeen.

In one text, Emily asks Matthew for a reply on her request for permission to take Ava to church, saying, “It is really important to me to resume church services with Ava.”

Vested by the court with full veto power over Ava’s church attendance, he replies in the negative: “I think it is best for Ava to take a break from church activities and participation. . . . I don’t see any benefits to her getting involved in any church.”

The lower court order, just upheld by Maine’s high court, is riddled with hostility toward Christian faith. Every time the order mentions God, the court lowercases it as “god.”

And it repeatedly refers to the alleged danger that attending Calvary Chapel, a Bible-believing church, would inflict “psychological harm” on Ava.

Defend Emily and Ava with your gift today.

Since December 2024, Ava has been prohibited from attending “any services, gatherings, or events associated with Calvary Chapel,” including any materials, literature, videos, or other messaging “associated with, or created or published by, Calvary Chapel.” No Christmas, Easter — NOTHING! 

Ava has been prohibited from associating or communicating “with any member of Calvary Chapel.” 

And the order also applies to “Ava’s participation in any other church or religious organization, or Ava’s exposure to the teachings of any religious philosophy or of the Bible in general.” 

Help us appeal this unjust opinion to the U.S. Supreme Court!

Legal battles of this magnitude are expensive. Court filings, attorney preparation, appeals, and public advocacy all require substantial resources. 

Emily and Ava cannot carry this burden alone. That’s why I’m asking you to stand with them today.

Please make your most generous contribution right now to help defend Emily and Ava’s rights, support their ongoing legal fight, and ensure Ava is free to worship God in church with her mom.

Every gift matters. And every contribution sends a powerful message that religious freedom and parental rights are worth defending. 

Give generously and let the Challenge Grant DOUBLE your impact today!

Thank you for standing with Emily and Ava during this critical time. Please take a moment to pray today: for strength for Emily, Ava’s perseverance in her faith, and redemption for Ava’s father, Matthew Bradeen.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6).

Mat Staver
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel