The 3 - May 17, 2020

This week's edition of The 3 includes a positive court ruling involving a San Diego church that had fought a government order to include abortion in its health care plans.  Plus, there is more news about the reopening of churches, including some who have gone to court and others who have decided to reopen, even though state orders do not permit it.  And, we are reminded that Christian persecution is continuing, including violence in India against Christian believers.

San Diego church is victorious in challenge to law forcing it to include abortion in health plan

In 2014, the California Department of Managed Care sent out letters with a requirement that church health care plans cover abortions.  Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, which was pastored by Jim Garlow at the time (and John Maxwell before that), filed a lawsuit to challenge this decision by the Department to erase religious exemptions to the directive to include abortion.

The Alliance Defending Freedom represented Skyline, and at its website, it states:

After ADF attorneys filed the lawsuit Skyline Wesleyan Church v. California Department of Managed Health Care, the district court denied the church’s request for relief. The church then appealed to the 9th Circuit.

In January, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights issued its determination that the mandate violates federal law.

Recently, the 9th Circuit ruled in favor of the church in its lawsuit; ADF reports that, "The 9th Circuit recognized that Skyline Church suffered an injury when the state issued its August 2014 letters mandating that church healthcare plans cover elective abortions."

North Carolina churches set to reopen after court strikes down governor's order

With churches across the Faith Radio broadcast area and across the nation putting their reopening plans into place, we can see that churches are challenging laws that restrict their First Amendment freedoms - in a number of these cases, they have been successful.

One of the most recent is in the state of North Carolina, where, according to ABC 15 News:

This weekend a federal judge approved a restraining order that will allow houses of worship all across North Carolina to reopen.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday as the Governor pleaded with churchgoers to keep the faith in his leadership amid a growing chorus of challenges to his executive orders. This included an additional lawsuit filed in court and another group threatening litigation.

Governor Roy Cooper has said that he would not appeal the order, which has a 14-day maximum.  This comes on the heels of a rally that occurred in Raleigh last Thursday, according to WRAL Television, which reported: "The group leading the charge, Return America, is led by pastors and Christian educators...During the rally, the group announced that they had filed a lawsuit against Cooper over not allowing indoor assemblies at churches...Those filing the suit say the state's restrictions violate the First Amendment and treat churches differently from retailers."  The governor had fixed a 10-person limit to indoor gatherings.

David Gibbs, Jr. of the Christian Law Association, heard on The Legal Alert, was involved in filing the lawsuit, and said, "We have the ability to open our churches safely, with higher standards than they are asking us to do..."

This was also the weekend that the Peaceably Gather movement was involved in reopening churches, led by Pastor Brian Gibson of HIS Church in Owensboro, KY, according to ChristianHeadlines.com, which reports that the movement "has attracted the support of nearly 50 pastors at churches in a dozen states who have signaled they will gather their congregations for an in-person service."  It's been reported the church has two locations in Kentucky and two in Texas.

And, recently a group of California pastors have declared they will reopen May 31, which is Pentecost Sunday, whether or not Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an order allowing them to do so; The Christian Post reports:

Church United, a network of approximately 3,000 churches representing 2.5 million members in the Golden State, has announced its intentions to reopen before the state sets in motion the third phase of its reopening plan, which permits modified reopening of houses of worship.

Jack Hibbs, Pastor at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills told the Post: "...we have been extremely compliant for over two months, our state, when petitioned, when we asked our governor's office: 'Where are you placing the value of the church? The fact that we provide mental and spiritual health and stability at such a critical time, where do you place us in priority?'"  The article goes on to say:

Thus far, the governor's office has said that the church may be in the third or fourth phases of reopening, which could begin anywhere from a few weeks to months from now. His words have left some wondering if it will ever be politically correct for churches to resume services.

Christians in India face violence for their faith

During our current health crisis, we recognize that not only are Christian believers affected around the world, but there are those who being persecuted for their faith.  Case in point: in the nation of India, where a CBN News article recently reported on how five Christian families in Chhattisgarh state on May 5 were attacked because, as the story states, "The Christians had forbidden a tribal animist leader, Dulla Poyami, to perform tribal worship on their land."

The Christians attempted to meet with the village leaders; an MSN report quotes a local pastor - the article says:

"The village leaders told the Christians, 'You are not partaking in our tribal rituals, and so we cannot allow you to profit from your agricultural lands,'" according to the pastor.

CBN relates that:

The elders then stood up and attacked two of the Christians, Madda Poyami and Badda Poyami. As they began beating on the two men, a mob of about 60 people encircled the families, telling them they must give up their Christian faith.

Poyami was also stoned, according to Morning Star News. He was later admitted to a local hospital. Six others were also injured.

Alliance Defending Freedom International got involved in helping the villagers file a complaint with the local police.  Meanwhile, another group of Christians was mobbed because they tried to bury one of their own in the local graveyard.  ADF International became involved and secured police protection for the funeral service.