Last week, the court reached a favorable settlement for Capitol Hill Baptist Church with the District of Columbia in the case Capitol Hill Baptist Church v. Muriel E. Bowser . “We are grateful for the work of NRB Member First Liberty in helping the faithful, gospel-preaching congregation at Capitol Hill Baptist Church defend their right to worship,” Daniel Darling, Senior Vice President of Communications at NRB, said. “While we acknowledge that public officials have a duty to protect their citizens during a global pandemic, they must never trample on the First Amendment rights of churches while doing so.” Context In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, elected officials were forced to make unprecedented decisions regarding restrictions on large gatherings. This included places of worship. In the District of Columbia, Mayor Bowser placed restrictions on gatherings of over 100 people during the global pandemic. Capitol Hill Baptist Church (CHBC) has over 800 members in its congregation, therefore, an in-person service would have violated the mayor’s order. The controversy lies in the belief that it is an essential practice for Christians to gather in church. With that belief, CHBC sought to hold in-person services in an outdoor setting with precautions such as […]
