WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court could hand down a decision anytime this month in a case regarding Philadelphia’s refusal to let a Catholic ministry take part in the city’s foster care program because the ministry won’t violate its religious convictions by giving children to same-sex couples. Though the Supreme Court case involves a Catholic ministry, Missouri Baptist Children’s Home (MBCH) President Russell Martin said the court’s decision could greatly impact the MBCH’s … [Read more...]
KC church’s suit can move forward, judge says
KANSAS CITY – A federal judge says a Missouri Baptist church's lawsuit against Jackson County's COVID orders can continue, even as Jackson County abandoned its mask mandate. Abundant Life, a Lee's Summit church, filed suit in March 2020, when Jackson County announced it would limit churches to 10 worshippers regardless of building size. Rules for commercial businesses were less onerous. Later versions also included "gathering protocol" that lacked proper First Amendment safeguards, … [Read more...]
Federal ‘overreach’ threatens liberty at Christian colleges
JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) university presidents expressed disappointment after a federal judge rejected the College of the Ozark’s (COO) request to press pause on a federal directive that could force Christian universities to cater to the LGBT agenda. Federal Judge Roseann Ketchmark, in the Western District of Missouri, denied COO’s request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, May 19, though she hasn’t dismissed the complaint or ruled in … [Read more...]
‘Missouri Equality Act’ dies
JEFFERSON CITY – A bill that could have threatened Missouri churches and faith institutions has apparently died in the Missouri General Assembly, and the prospects of it resurfacing is unlikely with this year’s legislative session set to end May 14. Dubbed the Missouri Equality Act due to its likeness to the radical Equality Act moving through the U.S. Congress that would threaten the religious freedom of Americans, it could have forced faith-based institutions – like the Missouri Baptist … [Read more...]
State’s high court upholds religious liberty protection
JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Supreme Court, in an April 6th opinion, reaffirmed church autonomy and religious liberty protection for religious employers. The court’s 6-0 decision “means that Missouri continues to have strong protection for churches against government interference in religious decisions, especially related to hiring and firing,” Kansas City attorney Jonathan Whitehead told The Pathway. (Whitehead is a member of Abundant Life Baptist Church, Lee’s Summit, and a trustee for … [Read more...]
Colorado cake artist again defending religious liberty
DENVER (BP) – Colorado cake artist Jack Phillips is again defending his freedom to practice his Christian faith in a case that is part of the ongoing, legal faceoff between religious liberty and sexual liberty. Phillips – who won a significant, though limited, victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 – appeared as the defendant in a state-court trial that began March 22 as a result of a discrimination lawsuit filed for his refusal to provide a cake celebrating a gender transition. … [Read more...]
Restoration House raises $146,000 during Jan. 6th gala, silent auction
BRKC ministry recognized by ‘15 and Mahomies Foundation’ for work with child trafficking survivors EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this article, printed in the Feb. 9th print edition of The Pathway, contained several errors, which have been corrected in the article below: • The previous article said that 18 women live on the Restoration House’s farm. In reality, only six women live there currently, although the Restoration House is working to increase the number of residents to 18 … [Read more...]
Whiteheads: Equality Act ‘bulldozes Christians out of the public square’
WASHINGTON – Though the Equality Act may soon “put churches and religious groups in unprecedented territory,” Kansas City attorneys Michael and Jonathan Whitehead said Missouri Baptists don’t need to use much imagination to see what harm the bill could do. The Whiteheads, father and son, have been involved in religious liberty cases at the U.S. Supreme Court, and they provide legal counsel for the Missouri Baptist Convention. The Equality Act (H.R. 5) passed through the U.S. House … [Read more...]
‘De-conversion of the West’: Truth will outlast Left’s false gospel, Southern Baptist ethicist says
WASHINGTON – Progressives pushing forward the Equality Act in the U.S. Congress are evangelists for a false gospel that aims to undo the moral foundations of Western society, Southwest Baptist University alumnus and Christian ethicist Andrew Walker wrote, Feb. 24, in the American Conservative. “Aiming to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to cover gender identity and sexual orientation, (the Equality Act) is the game-set-match of the Sexual Revolution’s conquest,” Walker, associate professor … [Read more...]
Rep. Hartzler: Equality Act diminishes rights of women, authority of parents
WASHINGTON – The Equality Act (H.R. 5) diminishes women’s rights and wellbeing, the safety of children and the authority of parents, according to U.S. Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.). “On occasion, Congressional leaders will purposely misname a piece of legislation to disguise its true intention. The Equality Act is the epitome of this misrepresentation,” Hartzler said following passage of the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, Feb. 25. “This legislation is an affront on … [Read more...]
Senate bill offers highest legal protection for churches against COVID-19 lawsuits
JEFFERSON CITY – A bill in the Missouri General Assembly that would provide the highest legal protection for Missouri churches against frivolous, COVID-related lawsuits is working its way toward possible passage. Senate Bill 51 (SB 51) will raise the standard in which churches can be sued to one of “intentionality,” a much higher standard than “recklessness” or “negligence,” which were in earlier versions. “The rule without SB 51 is that you might lose if you ‘mistakenly’ fail to … [Read more...]
Supreme Court hears campus religious freedom, free speech case
WASHINGTON (Whitehead Law Firm) – The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments by teleconference, Jan. 12, in an important case involving campus religious freedom and the legal doctrine of mootness, which limits the on-going jurisdiction of federal courts to hear cases. The case is Chike Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski (CHEE’-kay Oo-zah-BUN’-um v. Pray-CHESS-key). Chike is a former student at Georgia Gwinnett College who in 2016 was twice silenced when he tried to share his Christian faith … [Read more...]
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