Election Case
Soon after the 2020 election, I was asked to meet with the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters. I received a tour of the county election facility where all the election machines and data are stored.
Election Machines: Courtesy of China I was surprised to see the hundreds of boxes of computers and tabulators with the stamp: “Dominion Voting” and “Made in China.” I asked the registrar: “Why in the world would we be using election machines made in China” and why are you using “Dominion Voting instead of one of its competitors?”
Her answer surprised me. She said the California Secretary of State told the counties that the state would only provide funding for upgrading electronic election systems if the county purchased the Dominion Voting system!
I cannot say that this necessarily proves anything in a court of law, but if true, it certainly raises grave concern in my mind over the integrity of our elections. At the time, President Trump had instituted significant trade sanctions against China, and I have no doubt that China and other countries would have loved to manipulate our elections.
New Chief Litigation Counsel
As you can imagine, the last few years of unprecedented attacks on our liberty has created an unprecedented need for experienced litigators battling for our freedom.
This is why I asked an old friend and colleague, attorney Nate Kellum, to join our ministry. Nate is now our Chief Litigation Counsel - overseeing all our litigation. Our partnership with Nate has resulted in an expansion of our caseload across the country including religious liberty cases in Alabama, Colorado, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
Nate is an experienced attorney who has defended religious liberty in courtrooms across the country for over three decades, managing more than 500 litigated cases and 40 appeals before various federal appellate courts. He has won many landmark decisions along the way, including Johnson v. Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, confirming the right to hand out Bibles in a public park during a public festival, Boardley v. Dept. of Interior, striking down restrictions on distribution of gospel tracts in national public parks, and Brown v. Polk County, upholding the right of a state employee to live out his Christian faith in the government workplace.
Protecting Our Pastors
Pastor Dennis Hodges serves on a human rights commission in San Diego. There was a proposal regarding transgenderism and inclusivity which he abstained from voting on. Some other members of the commission forced him to explain why he abstained, to which he explained his Biblical views on gender. After he spoke up and called out transgenderism as sin, he immediately had a target on his back. The LGBTQ+ community aggressively pushed to have him removed from the committee. We were able to step in and represent Pastor Hodges. We attended committee meetings and advised the committee that it is illegal to punish Pastor Hodges for his religious views or speech. Thankfully, Pastor Hodges still has his seat on the committee. Although that battle is not over and Pastor Hodges continues to face the relentless woke mob, we are optimistic that the threat of legal action will keep the committee from removing Pastor Hodges.
A Red Sea Moment
As many of you know, we have been fighting Santa Clara County and its draconian orders on behalf of churches and religious adherents who have faced persecution for standing up for their rights.
First, it started with Pastor Mike McClure and Calvary Chapel San Jose. During the summer of 2020, when most businesses and churches caved to the pressure and closed, Pastor Mike kept his church open. His boldness was met with great opposition, as Santa Clara County started levying crippling fines against the church and even sought to hold Pastor Mike and the church in contempt twice.
Christian Prison Ministry Sued... for Being Christian
Advocates is representing Prison Ministry of America (PMA), a non-profit Christian organization started in 1926 that provides prison inmates with Bibles, prayer, discipleship, and worship services.
Much to PMA’s dismay, it was recently sued by a Muslim religious leader who claims that PMA’s chaplain application, which had a Christian statement of faith, was discriminatory.
New Year—New Legal Battles
As we move into a new year, the challenges and threats to our liberties continue to loom large. Thankfully, we were mentally prepared for the chaos of 2020 and 2021 to transfer into the new year. And that is exactly what we are seeing.
On January 12, a church in the bay area was served by the state of California with a lawsuit because the church refused to force two-year-old children to wear face masks. Yes, you read that correctly.
For Such a Time as This
My mission in founding Advocates for Faith & Freedom over fifteen years ago was to defend the First Amendment right to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ until the Lord returns. Just as Paul was compelled by the spirit in Acts 20:22, I feel the Lord compels me to continue Advocates’ mission, no matter how difficult things get.
Give Thanks to the Lord!
I’d like to introduce you to Dominic Adams, our new Development Director for Advocates for Faith and Freedom. He joined our team in August and has been an incredible asset. Here is a gracious note from Dominic that he wanted to share with you, our supporters.
I was first introduced to Advocates a few years back when Nada was speaking at a local fundraiser for a pregnancy resource center. Her personal story and how the Lord used her to defeat a wicked bill that forced pro-life pregnancy centers to advertise for abortion (the Reproductive Fact Act) has stuck with me.
Great Power and Great Responsibility
Before I knew God was calling me to be a lawyer, I wanted to be a police officer. I spent four years studying criminal justice and preparing for the police academy. Police officers are heroes in the truest sense of the word, and they selflessly protect our community. But they also must be held to a high standard and accept accountability for mistakes.
I believe the San Bernardino Police Department made a mistake on August 28, 2021 when five officers surrounded and immediately arrested a pastor who was standing on a public sidewalk preaching about Jesus Christ.