John MacArthur’s Church Set to Win $800,000 Settlement From County For Shutdown Scheme
The legal battle between John MacArthur and Los Angeles County is set to come to a close next week, with the government poised to pay Grace Community Church 800k in legal fees and compensation for repeatedly taking them to court last summer and seeking to shut them down.
Last year MacArthur and Grace Community Church (CGC) made national news and became the face of the movement of congregations that refused to shut down its services, insisting on having them in person, in their church building, unmasked, in violation of California lockdown laws.
In response to their biblical and principled stand, the County got a court order against GCC, demanding they stop. Instead of submitting to the government’s will, the church deliberately continued to have church services and disregarded an injunction issued against them. The County wanted them to be found in contempt for flouting the injunction, but the church argued that the injunction was granted on the faulty premise of an unconstitutional order, and should have rightly been ignored.
Rather than adjudicate the contempt charges, GCC lawyers argued that MacArthur and GCC were first entitled to a full-blown trial on the merits of their lawsuit challenging Gavin Newsom’s shutdown orders, proposing that “a final determination on the constitutionality of the orders must occur before the County could seek contempt against MacArthur for merely holding church.”
The Judge agreed, allowing GCC to continue meeting while the contempt charges were pursued, which took several months. Before the case could be adjudicated, the Supreme Court ruled that California’s lockdown rules against churches were indeed unconstitutional, effectively ending the ability of the County to come against them.
But MacArthur and GCC did not simply passively defend against the lawsuit when they were first threatened, but also countersued the state and city officials, claiming that their first amendment rights were violated.
They’ve now seen the fruits of their labor.
In a recent letter to supporters of the John MacArthur Charitable Trust, MacArthur called the County’s decision to back down, pay all their legal fees, and drop all charges a “monumental victory for Grace Community Church” and explained that “We know that there is no circumstance that can cause the church to close. The church is not only a building but is the bride of Christ and exists to proclaim the truth.”
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If only many other churches had done the same things……..
I totally disagree. My church, along with hundreds of others, chose to follow Christ’s example and obey the government over us since nothing about the laws violated Scripture or God. It wasn’t just churches that were closed; pretty much everything was shut down. Even when allowed to reopen for outdoor services or indoor with modified numbers, MacArthur chose to defy that assuming he had the right to be inside, unmasked, and not practice social distancing. Embarrassing for Christian’s, and it’s what soils our reputation with others as they assume we think we’re above the law. Sure wish the judge would have decided differently. (Even if you want to fight, it’s the way you do it, that matters to people. Honor the law until you receive word otherwise.) Will be interesting to see what he does with ALL that money! Get rich or give away?
You’ll be one of the first to register as a state church when the government comes for yours.
I admire Ptr John McArthur for standing for the head of Grace Community Church – which is Christ.. I’m just a little bit confuse in this matter as to when to submit to the authority and when not to submit to the authority.. Please enlighten me on this matter with sound doctrine. God richly bless you GCC..
Submit to the government where it doesn’t violate God’s clear commands to His Chruch (Heb 10:25). The goverment does not have authority to prevent human beings from worshipping God. Romans 13 says that the government is God’s servant, not God on earth.