After pastoring for 54 years, 52 of which have been with Maryville Baptist Church, Dr. Jack Roberts never expected to play David against a Kentucky Goliath -- Gov. Andy Beshear. But as with Abraham, Sarah and even Moses, no matter the age, God works miracles through his faithful. Read on to learn more about this case and what the lawless governor of KY did, and continues to want to do. -Mat

Fund the fight to defend religious freedom and have YOUR IMPACT DOUBLED by the Year-End Challenge Grant.

In his 52 years of preaching at Maryville Baptist Church, Pastor Jack Roberts never once closed the church.

But on March 25, pro-abortion KY Gov. Andy Beshear banned ALL worship, including parking lot services. And, like other governors that unlawfully restrict churches, he declared abortion centers and liquor stores to be “essential.”

On GOOD FRIDAY, when Christians around the world contemplate Jesus’ crucifixion, Gov. Beshear warned that no one should dare attend EASTER services in his state. He warned that he would send police officers to monitor churches and take down the license plates and VIN numbers of offenders, and then issue Notices of Quarantine - even for parking lot services.

Never mind that Gov. Beshear allowed big-box retail centers, abortion clinics and liquor stores to stay open and largely unrestricted. Churches and houses of worship were required to shut down.

On the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter, a church located in a county near Maryville sued the Louisville mayor and won an injunction, preventing the mayor from stopping parking lot services. The precedent set by that Trump-appointed judge should have served as a warning to Gov. Beshear, but the abortion-loving governor didn’t care. Instead, he doubled down on restricting the other Kentucky counties.

On Easter Sunday, Maryville Baptist Church opened its parking lot and readied its loudspeakers for a drive-in service. Attendees arrived and stayed in their own cars and prepared to listen to Pastor Roberts’ sermon.

But there was a surprise waiting in that church parking lot, as well – the police.  The officers went car to car, taking down the license plate numbers and issuing citations to the faithful flock who just wanted to worship their Lord – safely encased in their cars! Even the local news team sent to cover the event received the notice. Many who were still arriving saw the police cars and turned away, sacrificing their right to worship out of fear of tyrannical punishment.

Church members lose their job...

On Monday, as Maryville attendees went to work, reports of the church’s experience hit the media. Multiple Maryville Baptist attendees report being sent home and/or immediately fired from their “essential service” jobs.

None had symptoms, none tested positive for COVID. Instead, these faithful Christians were fired for exercising their constitutional RIGHT to religious freedom. These people lost their jobs - for attending church.

But it gets worse...

Attendees whose license plates were taken each received MANDATORY 14-day quarantine orders for simply attending the stay-in-your-own-car drive-in church service. These faithful Christians were ordered to remain only in their homes for the next 14 days—even though none had tested positive for the COVID virus, nor did any have symptoms.

Four days after the service, Dr. Roberts received a letter from the governor informing the pastor that he was no longer allowed to leave the state, or even the county, without permission.

Pastor Roberts and Maryville Baptist’s attendees were put on the equivalent of house arrest – for attending church.

Pastor Roberts decided he’d had enough of Gov. Beshear’s lawless tyranny, and he called Liberty Counsel. We filed suit immediately. The case first went before an Obama appointee who denied our request for an injunction. So, we appealed.

In two back-to-back Saturday afternoon decisions, the Court of Appeals agreed with us with two 3-0 opinions, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky was freed from Gov. Beshears’ illegal and unconstitutional shutdown orders.

That court ruling noted that Gov. Beshear trusted people to go shopping, but not to go to church. And that his anti-church edicts were not only wrong, but they were also unconstitutional. The court even used Scripture from the Holy Bible in its decision against the tyrannical governor.

Nearing 80 years of age, God used Dr. Roberts to defeat Kentucky’s Goliath.

One would THINK two 3-0 rulings from the Court of Appeals would have been the end, but Gov. Beshear is defiantly determined to have his lawless anti-church edicts forced again upon the people of Kentucky.

Unbelievably, Gov. Beshear is now demanding the courts allow him to return to his anti-church ways and enable him to once again shut down any house of God, any time he chooses. We will not allow that to happen!

For 31 years Liberty Counsel has been fighting tirelessly to protect Judeo-Christian values and our God-given religious freedom. And as you have seen, we are regularly blessed with victory.

Here’s the thing I hope you take away from today’s message...

It does not matter how old or how young, how big or how small - God WILL strengthen us to accomplish His will. From age to age, He gathers Gideon’s armies, and while godless giants might view the Lord’s people as small, or old, or weak, the Lord has and will give victory to those who faithfully call upon Him!

The gates of hell shall NOT prevail against God’s church… and neither will overreaching, lawless governors.

Our Year-End Challenge Grant will DOUBLE THE IMPACT of every gift between now and December 31, midnight your time zone. Please, do not miss this opportunity to fully fund the fight for our pastors and churches in America.

All donations today will be DOUBLED by the Year-End Challenge Grant! – Select here to take advantage of this tax-deductible blessing TODAY!

Please, be in prayer for these brave pastors.

In Christ,

Mat Staver
Founder and Chairman

P.S. OUR YEAR-END CHALLENGE GRANT will effectively DOUBLE the impact of your donations between now and the end of the year!