Dad’s Place is more than a small church near downtown Bryan. As one of the only places where needy people can go to get out of the cold at night, Dad’s Place is a safe haven…a refuge from the cold.
But for more than a year, local officials in the city of Bryan have been waging war on the small church, its pastor and the people they minister to. Dad’s Place pastor Chris Avell has been threatened with jail time simply because he wants to put his faith into practice and help the needy.
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Ron Hittle was a dedicated first responder for almost 25 years. When he attended a world class leadership conference with a few of his team members, he was fired. His crime? The conference was held at a church. It’s rare that an employer will tell you that they are firing you for your faith, but that’s just what Stockton’s leaders did. That’s not only wrong. It’s illegal. And that’s why we’re asking the Supreme Court to take up Ron’s case. For more on this important case, watch this interview with Fire Chief Ron Hittle and First Liberty attorney David Hacker.
History and Tradition.
Thanks to the Kennedy decision at the Supreme Court, these three words are changing the ways that courts all over the country view public expressions of faith. Kennedy ended the Lemon test and fifty years of bad legal precedent.
Now, courts are following the original meaning of the Establishment Clause by evaluating public expressions of faith as the relate to our nation’s history and tradition.
Watch First Liberty’s Jeff Mateer explain why expressions of faith that fall within the longstanding history and traditions of our nation are once again welcomed in our town squares.
A California state court decided to bypass the Constitution in an attempt to resolve a religious dispute at Bethesda University.
To stop this judicial overreach, First Liberty is asking the Supreme Court to reverse the California court’s decision.
Listen to First Liberty’s Jeremy Dys explain why secular courts aren’t qualified to evaluate the religious character of faith-based organizations and what the Supreme Court can do to protect their right to choose their own leaders.
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Kelly Shackelford joins to discuss the election results and what they mean for religious freedom.
According to a new George Barna study, 41 million born-again Christians aren’t expected to vote in this election.
But this isn’t an election people of faith, especially Christians, can afford to sit out.
There is just too much at stake.
We just took an important step forward in our Alaska Airlines case involving Lacey Smith and Marli Brown, the two flight attendants who were fired for their religious beliefs.
The airline terminated our clients for posting their concerns about the “Equality Act” and its impact on women and people of faith on an internal company website. We filed suit against Alaska Airlines in 2022.
First Liberty Senior Counsel Stephanie Taub explains this week’s filing and what it means for the case moving forward.
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City officials in Rowlett, Texas don’t want Freedom Place Church to serve as an early voting location. What’s more, the city is trying to shut down the church. Officials sent a letter threatening to revoke the church’s certificate of occupancy, claiming it had been “issued in error.” This would force the congregation to close its doors within 10 days.
We talk to the pastor of Freedom Place Church to discuss this injustice and what First Liberty is doing to fight back.
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A fifth-grade teacher at La Costa Heights Elementary School in California read aloud the book, My Shadow is Pink, which urges children to question their own gender identity.
When the parents requested notice and opt-outs from similar teaching in the future, the school district denied their requests.
First Liberty is fighting back to protect the students’ right to religious freedom.
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Rock Church in Castle Rock, Colorado recently got great news after filing a federal lawsuit against hostile city officials. A federal judge will allow the church, in the midst of their lawsuit, to continue its RV ministry that gives people in need temporary shelter. This is a crucial first victory in their case.
But the legal battle in Castle Rock isn’t over.
City officials are criminalizing compassion and trying to stop the church from giving the homeless a place to stay in a pinch, claiming the ministry violates zoning ordinances.
Watch Pastor Mike Polhemus as he explains why Rock Church is feeling called to serve the suddenly homeless and how they continue to work to fulfill their mission.
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State officials in Maine are lashing out against our recent Supreme Court victory for school choice. To learn more about our recent appeal to the First Circuit Court of Appeals for Bangor, watch this interview with Senior Counsel David Hacker as he dives into the case details and why this defense of the precedent set by Carson is so critical.
Coach Joe Kennedy’s film, Average Joe, premieres in theaters beginning October 10th. It focuses on his biggest battle: his commitment to stand for God publicly by taking a knee in prayer after each football game.
When he was fired for living out his faith, Joe and his wife Denise knew this battle for religious freedom and the rights of all Americans was one they would have to fight. You can show your support for Coach Joe and religious freedom by going to the movies on opening weekend.
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