Church Awarded $220,000 by Washington DC After Filing Lawsuit Over CCP Virus Religious Restrictions

Contact Your Elected Officials

A Washington, D.C., church has been awarded $220,000 after it filed a federal lawsuit challenging the districtโ€™s restrictions on gatherings at places of worship during the CCP virus pandemic.

Leaders of Capitol Hill Baptist Church (CHBC) have appealed to D.C. officials since Mayor Muriel Bowserโ€™s restrictions were issued on March 11, 2020, which banned all indoor and outdoor church meetings of 100 or more, even if participants wear masks and social distance.

But in October last year, Senior Pastor Mark Dever and CHBCโ€™s elders won a preliminary injunction (pdf) against Bowserโ€™s restrictions, allowing the congregation to resume worship services outdoors with proper precautions such as wearing masks and maintaining social distance.

In a settlement (pdf) between the two parties signed on July 8, 2021, Mayor Muriel Bowser and her administration agreed to pay $220,000 to church lawyers at WilmerHale and the First Liberty Institute, a Plano, Texas-based law firm that specializes in First Amendment religious freedom litigation.

As per the settlement, the district โ€œagrees that it will not enforce any current or future COVID-19 restrictions to prohibit CHBC from gathering as one congregationโ€ in the district.

The district further agrees that, should it impose new restrictions on religious gatherings in the name of mitigating COVID-19 or variant thereof,  they will not be more restrictive than on โ€œcomparable secular activities, as defined by the Supreme Court,โ€ the settlement states.

The district also agreed to pay the churchโ€™s legal fees.

Senior Pastor Mark Dever is a nationally known evangelical leader and the founder of the 9Marks organization, which provides ministry and administrative resources for churches across the nation, and has been at CHBC since 1994.

The 850-member congregation has held worship services every Sunday since 1878, except for three weeks during the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic.

โ€œAll Capitol Hill Baptist Church ever asked is for equal treatment under the law so they could meet together safely as a church,โ€ said Hiram Sasser, executive general counsel for First Liberty Institute.

BYย KATABELLA ROBERTS

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Now Lawyers Are Looking for the Epstein List, Too!

So it turns out that when FBI Director Kash...

Remember Epsteinโ€™s โ€œLittle Black Booksโ€?

Image of Bill Clinton getting a massage from Jeffrey...

On the Major Leagueโ€™s periphery: A major trip through the minors

For Nick Dunn, the trek through the minors is a trifecta of physical, mental, and organizational hurdles filled with politics, roster volatility, and injuries.

Private Citizens are Now Looking into Epstein Client List

Most Americans have never felt so betrayed and confused by a president and his admin as they are by the Trump admin over the Epstein client list issue.

Peace In Ukraine Wonโ€™t End The Westโ€™s Hybrid War On Russia

The Westโ€™s Hybrid War on Russia to follow peace in Ukraine is inevitable due to neoconservatives and liberal-globalists in its decision-making ecosystem.

Hackers Target Appleโ€™s Mac Users With New Malware Hidden in Popular Apps

MacOS malware, ZuRu is targeting Apple users, embedding malicious code and a hacking tool into popular utilities used for remote connections and server management.

Fetterman Backs ICE, Calls Abolition Push โ€˜Outrageousโ€™

Sen. Fetterman voiced support for ICE, calling demands to dismantle the agency โ€œinappropriate and outrageous.โ€

DOJ Shuts Down Investigation on T-Mobile-UScellular Merger

DOJ no longer opposes the merger of T-Mobile and UScellular and has closed its investigation into the matter, the department said in a July 10 statement.

Trump Visits Central Texas, Epicenter of Catastrophic Flood That Killed More Than 120

President Trump landed in Central Texas for first-hand look at damage from devastating flood claiming the lives of more than 120 people statewide.

State Department Says Reorganization Plan to Move Ahead Quickly After Supreme Court Ruling

State Dept to reorganize plans following Supreme Court's allowing Trump admin to proceed with layoffs of fed workers and overhaul of federal agencies.

Trump Says US Has Struck Deal With NATO to Supply Weapons to Ukraine

President Donald Trump said on July 10 that he has struck a new deal with NATO under which the United States will supply weapons to Ukraine

RFK Jr. Bans Illegal Immigrants From Government-Funded Programs

HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is rescinding a 1998 interpretation of a law that allowed illegal immigrants to access certain government-funded programs.

Rubio Set to Visit Malaysia for ASEAN Meetings Amid Tariff Tensions

A delegation including U.S. Sec. of State Marco Rubio will travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for series of high-profile meetings between July 11 and 12.
spot_img

Related Articles