Local Church Calls on City to Not Enforce Order

In a letter to the city’s Code Enforcement Commission, lawyers for a local church called on officials to wait until a lawsuit against Gov. Gavin Newsom was settled before enforcing orders barring indoor gatherings, including church services.

On Wednesday, Harvest Rock Church lost a court case that would have allowed them to legally hold indoor meetings.

“At minimum, the city should await the outcome of such litigation before storming the church-house door and imposing criminal sanctions on Harvest Rock Church, its pastor, and the religious adherents assembled in the pews,” the Liberty Counsel wrote in an Aug. 12 letter, the same day church lawyers lost in court.

The church has been meeting despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order, which closes indoor operations at several businesses, including restaurants, hair salons, and fitness centers.

In that letter, attorneys with the nonprofit religious liberty organization, which promotes litigation related to evangelical Christian values, accused the city of exercising a “discriminatory application of the Governor’s COVID-19 orders.”

“Though your July 28 letter asserts that the city has been enforcing the orders against all gatherings in the city, the treatment of the recent demonstrations, protests, riots, and looting tells a far different [and blatantly discriminatory] story.

“On June 10, 2020, hundreds of people gathered in the streets of Pasadena without threat of criminal sanction.”

There were no riots or looting in Pasadena during the demonstrations following the death of George Floyd, a Black motorist killed by police officers in Minnesota.

Harvest Rock — like the protesters — can meet and hold rallies and services outdoors. They are also allowed to hold services via Zoom.

The church contends that failure to gather in person for religious worship services “is disobedience to the Lord for which (the church) will be held divinely accountable.”

Recent guidelines issued by the state Department of Public Health, through the governor, discourage singing or chanting indoors due to fears that it increases the spread of respiratory droplets, thus heightening the risk of spreading COVID-19 among a crowd.

In that July 28 letter, the church was ordered by the city to cease indoor operation or risk misdemeanor charges that could result in fines and imprisonment. The July 28 letter was signed by Code Compliance Manager Israel Del Toro.

“The city is enforcing these orders and will continue to do so until present the emergency ends,” the letter states.

It was not immediately known if the church plans to hold indoor services on Sunday.

Churches were closed in March amid Newsom’s stay-at-home orders after they were deemed a nonessential service. Subsequent restrictions eased and churches were given the OK to open the doors provided they followed health and safety guidelines limiting attendance.

On Wednesday, lawyers seemed to be ready to take action if they did not get their way.

“Nevertheless, should the city persist in its efforts to discriminatorily and unconstitutionally seek to enforce its draconian restrictions only on religious adherents, while turning a blind eye to thousands of protesters, rioters, and looters, Liberty Counsel stands ready to vindicate the cherished constitutional rights of Harvest Rock Church, Pastor Che Ahn, and all of Harvest Rock Church’s members and congregants.”