July 1, 2008
The first American settlers were Christians who came here to escape religious persecution. And in doing so, they also provided a haven for others who were not free to worship God in the manner they chose. But today, without legal support, too many Christians are not free to preach God’s Word on American soil. A situation that arose recently in Grand Rapids, Michigan, shows that the very freedoms the pilgrims risked their lives to obtain are not always guaranteed.
Members of the World Wide Street Preachers’ Fellowship gathered on a hill close to where the “Pagan Pride Festival” was underway. They began preaching the good news of the Gospel, about sin and repentance, but were prevented from exercising their First Amendment rights when a Grand Rapids Police sergeant insisted their activity required a permit. Another sergeant forcefully pulled one member from the group’s platform before detaining him in a squad vehicle, handcuffing him, and charging him with disturbing the peace! The rest of the preachers left under fear of being arrested themselves.
Meanwhile, the pagan festival went on, under tax-supported police protection.
ADF-allied attorneys, trained in our National Litigation Academy – Len Brown, Randy Wenger, and Bob Flemming – filed suit on behalf of the preachers. ADF provided funding to help them in their fight. Ultimately, the court agreed with the preachers’ lawyers that the police sergeant’s use of the “permit scheme” was unconstitutional.
“Christians have the same First Amendment rights as anyone else in the state of Michigan,” said ADF Senior Counsel Joe Infranco. “The city’s ordinance can no longer be used to silence people who peacefully share their faith, as this group did. This is an important outcome for everyone who cherishes their First Amendment rights.”
This case victory is exciting on two counts:
• The First Amendment rights of people preaching the Gospel in a public setting were protected.
• ADF allied and trained attorneys answered the call and helped restore these rights – being obedient to their calling.
Free speech is an incredible gift we have in this country. Yes, it allows the pagans to celebrate their cause with their “Pride Festival.” But it also allows a group of Christians to proclaim God’s Word at the same time. And the ADF legal training provided to attorneys like Brown, Wenger, and Flemming is making a powerful difference for Christians all over America who need legal help to defend their constitutional liberties.
This week, 107 additional attorneys are going through the same training at the 30th session of the ADF National Litigation Academy. Pray that, like the lawyers in the Michigan case, these new 107 attorneys will heed the call to fight for religious freedom as we help equip them to do so.
With God’s grace, ADF will continue to fight for the right of Christians across the nation to preach His Gospel without fear of arrest. Because if dedicated Christians in Grand Rapids, Michigan, are silenced, who is next? All across this nation, we as Christians have the right – and the responsibility – to share our beliefs. ADF is protecting and restoring that right to share the Truth.