Harvest Rock’s Lawsuit Challenging State’s COVID-19 Restrictions Presses On

Pastor Ché Ahn of Harvest Rock Church addressing his congregation during last Sunday’s sermon. Via Facebook

The governor’s office has until Monday to respond to a lawsuit filed by a Pasadena church claiming that the state’s restrictions on churches and gatherings, including in-home Bible studies, and singing worship are discriminatory and violate the Constitution.

A federal judge declined to issue an emergency injunction in the case, filed last week by Liberty Counsel on behalf of Harvest Rock Church, but set an expedited briefing schedule for arguments to move forward. The plaintiffs were told to serve the defendants with the suit by this Monday, and the lawsuit has been served via email, according to Liberty Counsel. The state was given a week to respond.

It argues that the governor’s COVID-19 policies, which include a ban on indoor church services in Los Angeles county and dozens of others on the state’s coronavirus “watch list,” prohibit singing or chanting during church services and disallow private gatherings, including “home Bible studies and fellowship,” according to the filing.

Furthermore, the church accused the governor of discriminating against religious practices even while he encouraged recent political protests following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.

“Governor Gavin Newsom cannot disregard the First Amendment and ban all in-person worship in private homes and churches. Nor can the state micromanage the form of worship by banning singing or chanting,” Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said in a written statement.

“The governor is not the high priest over all religions,” he said. “There are not two First Amendments — one for protests and one for houses of worship. Gov. Newsom encourages thousands of protesters to gather in the streets but bans in-person worship and home Bible studies and fellowship. This discriminatory treatment is unconstitutional.”

Church members gathered in the sanctuary and sang worship songs Sunday as their legal argument was pending.

A church representative confirmed Wednesday that next Sunday’s service was scheduled to go on as usual.

During last weekend’s sermon, which was streamed online, Harvest Rock Senior Pastor Ché Ahn said the governor’s statements of support of the protests demonstrated a clear bias.

“He’s encouraging the protesters to meet, without social distancing, without masks, without any restrictions, but he wants to shut down the church,” he said.

“I have no problems with peaceful protest, it’s our First Amendment right,” Ahn said. “But what I’m against is the double standard, shutting down the church, but encouraging the protestors to meet. That’s the hypocrisy. That is the spiritual battle that we’re seeing in our nation. So we need to take a stand.”