A Torrent of Tyrants: How Local Churches Are Fighting Back

Written by Tony Perkins | The news came down just in time for Sunday service. For all of the congregations, it had been a frustrating few weeks. Pastors in New York, North Carolina, and Mississippi had been fighting their state for the freedom they should have had all along: the right to gather, in their own creative and CDC-compliant ways, at church. But fortunately, while every locality is responding differently, every court is not. Religious liberty, they agreed, doesn’t stop when a virus starts.

In Wake County, North Carolina, the response was almost immediate. In a matter of hours, local officials went from banning drive-through communion and offerings to completely reversing course. What changed? Attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom had sent a letter, explaining how “illogical” it is to say church giving is unsafe but exchanging money in a grocery or other business isn’t. “We support the efforts of public officials to prioritize health and safety,” ADF’s Ryan Tucker pointed out, “but it is… unconstitutional to apply government orders in a way that singles out churches for harsher treatment. We are asking the county to repeal its ban and avoid the need for any litigation over the matter.”

The county listened, responding that same day with an updated order. Praising the quick action of Wake officials, ADF said that locals looked forward to being able to host drive-in services “with the freedom to safely serve communion and receive donations this Sunday without fear of government punishment.”