Churches sue Calif. over order banning in-person religious services
Three churches have filed a lawsuit against California Gov. Gavin Newsom and local officials over the state’s stay-at-home order, which they say violates their freedom of religious practice.
The suit was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on behalf of Wendy Gish, member of Shield of Faith Family Church in Fontana; Patrick Scales, pastor of Shield of Faith; James Dean Moffatt, senior pastor at Church Unlimited of Indio, and Brenda Wood, senior pastor at Word of Life Ministries International, Inc. of Riverside.
A major point of contention was Newsom’s Executive Order N-33-20, which among other things compels California residents to “stay home or at their place of residence except” for essential activities....