First Liberty



Two Major Victories for Religious Freedom:
Churches in MS & KY Allowed to Continue "Drive-In" Services

Dear  John,

It's not often that a lawsuit results in victory the very same
day it's filed. However, yesterday was one of those
days-and it's a major milestone for religious liberty in
this difficult time.

Early yesterday, First Liberty Institute filed a federal lawsuit
against Greenville, Mississippi Mayor, Errick Simmons, on behalf of
our client, King James Bible Baptist Church (KJBBC), seeking to stop
his unconstitutional order from prohibiting CDC-compliant drive-in
church services.

Later the same day, Mayor Simmons announced that he was rescinding his
order, and allowing drive-in church services to operate free of
government interference (provided that they continued adhering to
proper CDC guidelines).

As you may recall, this was the case in which the local police
department actually showed up in force to intimidate and disperse
Pastor Hamilton and his parishioners. They even went so far as to tell
Pastor Hamilton: "Your rights are SUSPENDED."

But the Constitution is most certainly not suspended, nor does it give
government officials a free pass to do as they wish. We are thankful
for Mayor Simmons' prompt response in rescinding his order, and
recognizing the importance of protecting religious liberty.

We are also grateful to Attorney General William Barr, the U.S.
Department of Justice, and Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves for coming
alongside us and supporting the right of churches to hold drive-in
services. Gov. Reeves may have said it best: "The government
cannot shut down churches. Mississippi is not China-this is
still America."

And this victory comes just a few days after a separate win for the
religious freedom of a Kentucky church just in time for Easter, when a
federal judge granted our temporary restraining order (TRO) which
prevented Louisville, Kentucky Mayor Greg Fischer from blocking On
Fire Church from holding drive-in services on Easter.

I wanted to share this important update with you, as we continue to
remain on the frontlines to ensure the cooperation of church and state
during this critical time.

We strongly believe that the work we are doing right now is vital to
the future of religious freedom in our country. We would be grateful
for any support you are able to provide in supporting these efforts.

We are All In this together.

Gratefully, 

Kelly

Kelly J. Shackelford, Esq.
President, CEO & Chief Counsel
First Liberty Institute


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