Dear Friend,
What happens when a government decides that worship is “non-essential”?
For Calvary Chapel San Jose and Pastor Mike McClure, that question is not theoretical. It has become a six-year legal battle that now stands before the highest court in the nation.
During California’s COVID restrictions, government officials allowed numerous secular activities to continue while churches faced severe limitations on gathering for worship. For Calvary Chapel San Jose, the choice was clear: remain faithful to God’s calling and continue meeting for worship, believing that gathering together, preaching God’s Word, worship, prayer, communion, and fellowship are essential functions of the Church, not privileges granted by the government.
What followed was an extraordinary campaign of government enforcement.
Santa Clara County is seeking $2.37 million in fines and legal fees against the church. County officials monitored attendance, sought injunctions, pursued contempt sanctions, and employed geofencing technology to track the movements of worshippers through their cell phones. Not because a crime had been committed, but because a church continued to gather for worship. The county then attempted to financially cripple a congregation whose only “offense” was remaining faithful to its biblical convictions.
This is not simply a dispute about COVID policies. It is about a far more important question: Who has authority over the Church?
Can government officials dictate how worship is conducted, how many believers may gather, whether congregants may sing, or whether pastors must choose compliance with government mandates over obedience to God?
Advocates for Faith & Freedom has stood alongside Calvary Chapel San Jose throughout this fight and is seeking review before the United States Supreme Court.
This case reaches far beyond a single church in California. The Court’s decision could help define the limits of government authority during times of crisis and determine whether churches and people of faith receive the same constitutional protections as everyone else. The outcome could have lasting implications for religious liberty, not only for churches, but also for ministries, religious schools, faith-based organizations, and believers across the nation.
At stake is more than one congregation. At stake is whether constitutional protections remain meaningful when they are needed most.
The First Amendment was not written to protect popular beliefs or convenient worship. It was written to protect the free exercise of religion when government pressure is at its greatest.
The Supreme Court now has an opportunity to send a clear message: government officials do not have the authority to punish churches for faithfully carrying out their mission.
Please pray for Pastor Mike McClure, Calvary Chapel San Jose, our legal team, and the justices who will consider this important case. The decision could help determine whether future generations inherit a nation where religious liberty is protected or merely tolerated.
The challenges facing people of faith today are not growing smaller. Across the country, churches, ministries, parents, and individuals continue to face increasing pressure for simply living according to their convictions.
At Advocates for Faith & Freedom, we are privileged to stand alongside them. We do so because these cases are about far more than legal disputes. They are about protecting the freedoms that allow future generations to worship freely, speak truth boldly, and live according to their faith.
As a nonprofit law firm, we rely entirely on the prayers and generosity of those who share that vision. Every victory, every brief filed, every family served, and every constitutional right defended is made possible by faithful supporters who stand with us in this mission.
Thank you for your partnership, your prayers, and your commitment to faith, family, and freedom. We could not do this work without you.
In Christ,
Robert Tyler
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