Today, Harvest Rock Church received a letter from the City of Pasadena’s code compliance officer demanding that in-person worship services cease. The letter states that the City of Pasadena will continue to enforce the governor’s orders “until the present emergency ends.”
Harvest Rock Church has enjoyed a good relationship with the City of Pasadena. Harvest is located in the former Ambassador auditorium, which is a premier location for concerts and vocal artists, like famed Italian Tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
Tomorrow, Liberty Counsel will appear in the federal district court regarding Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry’s request for a preliminary injunction against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s unconstitutional COVID-19 orders. The governor’s orders prohibit all in-person worship, including home Bible studies and fellowship. This ban applies to about 80 percent of the population. In the remaining 20 percent, limited in-person worship is permitted but no singing and chanting.
Yet, Gov. Newsom repeatedly encourages tens of thousands of protestors, saying, “God bless you. Keep doing it.” His response filed in court admits he did not attempt to stop the protestors, but says the reason is there were too many of them. If that is the case, perhaps if there are large groups of people who gather for worship, would he not enforce his orders? Yet, he has always encouraged the protestors to “Keep doing it.”
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “Governor Gavin Newsom must have a different Constitution than the one ratified by the states. While Gov. Newsom encourages tens of thousands of people to gather for mass protests, he bans all in-person worship and home Bible studies and fellowship. Such repression is well-known in despotic governments, and it is shocking that even home fellowship is banned in America. Neither history of the church nor the Constitution is on the side of the governor.”
