Calvary Chapel Belfast outscored two other competitors and rightfully earned the winning bid to solely negotiate the purchase of the Hutchinson Center, a building no longer in use by the university. The church had been renting this facility for worship services.

UMS officials then conspired with the competing secular bidders to rescind the award over the church’s scriptural beliefs on marriage and sexuality.

Once UMS announced the church as the winning bidder, two competing bidders sent a series of protest letters to the university attacking the church’s religious beliefs. They urged UMS to rescind the award because “a Christian church would necessarily discriminate against gays and lesbians.”

They did not hide their animus, claiming that the church must not receive the property because its “very design” as a church with biblical views was discriminatory and had no place in the community.

The conspirators made plain that their aim was to prevent a Christian church from operating in the community.

The university canceled the sale to the church, and is now trying to give the sale to the group that tried to rob the church of its rights!

The University of Maine System violated the First Amendment by discriminating against a church because of its Christian beliefs. Such discrimination is unlawful. Calvary Chapel Belfast participated in the bidding processes in good faith, but the university unlawfully discriminated against the church’s religious beliefs.

It is a sad day when government officials violate the constitutional rights of its citizens. This is a costly mistake for the University of Maine System.

The Supreme Court has declared that excluding a religious organization “from a public benefit for which it is otherwise qualified, solely because it is a church, is odious to our Constitution.” Our lawsuit declares the High Court has ruled that state officials cannot act in hostile ways toward religious organizations, nor can they pass judgment upon or presume the illegitimacy of their religious beliefs by excluding them.

UMS and its officials have failed these lessons. Our lawsuit seeks to vindicate the church’s constitutional rights and restore its rightfully earned opportunity to negotiate the purchase of the Hutchinson Center.

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There’s something really wrong in Maine. Liberty Counsel continues to have litigation pending for Maine’s terrible and unlawful treatment of religious health care workers during COVID.

And during COVID, the State of Maine was the second worst offender in the nation for attempting to rob Christians of their right to worship.

Liberty Counsel sued the state on behalf of Calvary Chapel Bangor. As you may recall, Calvary Bangor has an extensive youth drug rehabilitation program. Gov. Janet Mills ordered the church to be shut down entirely, and that the rehabilitation program could keep running during COVID — as long as no one ever prayed, worshipped, or opened a Bible.

We won that case in a 3-0 decision that forced Gov Mills to follow the law.

Historically, churches explode in membership whenever they are under attack by the government. It was no different here. Calvary Chapel Bangor planted SIX new churches after Mills tried to shut them down. One of those churches is Calvary Chapel Belfast — the church we are representing now.

For 35 years, Liberty Counsel has been defending life, religious freedom, and the natural family. We’ve won 37 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and countless others before state courts and the U.S. Courts of Appeal. We NEVER charge for our work because most people — and churches — could not afford to defend themselves against anti-Christian governors and governments. Our clients rely on YOU, the faithful Liberty Counsel supporter, to ensure liberty remains free.

A generous supporter has established a special Challenge Grant to support our work. But that grant only kicks in when you do. Every donation made to our legal fund today will be DOUBLED in impact. Even recurring monthly donations will be doubled for the duration of the grant! Please, help us defend the faith with your generous gift today.