A mother was banned from taking her daughter to church

Imagine being told by a court that you cannot take your own child to church.

That is what happened to Emily Bickford.

Her 13-year-old daughter, Ava, wants to go to church. She misses her friends. She misses hearing the Word of God.

But a Maine court has forbidden her from attending any church — and the Maine Supreme Court has now upheld that decision.

Liberty Counsel is taking Bickford v. Bradeen to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Will you help us fight back?

Your gift today can be DOUBLED through our Challenge Grant.

Emily was found to be an exceptionally fit parent — except that she is a born-again Christian raising her daughter in a Bible-believing church.

Emily and Ava joined Calvary Chapel in Portland, Maine, in May 2021.

Then Ava told her father she wanted to be baptized.

He went to court to stop it.

What followed was a stunning custody order.

The court interfered with Emily’s ability to take Ava to church, read the Bible to her, and allow her daughter to associate with church friends.

The court gave Ava’s father sole authority over her religious instruction.

That means he can deny Ava access to Calvary Chapel’s services, events, messages, or anything else associated with the church.

He also has sole control over Ava’s participation in any other churches — even during Emily’s custodial time.

So far, he has refused to approve any church, anywhere.

He even tried to forbid Emily from having a Bible in the house.

The court said that attending the church and being exposed to the Bible could be “psychologically detrimental” to Ava.

Yet the court also admitted that “there has been no showing of harm to Ava associated with a belief system that is rooted in the Bible.”

Now Liberty Counsel is taking this case to the U.S. Supreme Court because of the shocking precedent this order could establish:

No parent should fear that a judge can interfere with their ability to take their child to church.

Liberty Counsel rarely gets involved with child custody cases. But this case is too important to let stand.

Help us fight to get Ava back to church.

Our special Challenge Grant means your donation will have DOUBLE the impact.

Please give generously today to help Liberty Counsel take Bickford v. Bradeen to the U.S. Supreme Court.

And please pray for Emily and Ava — and for Ava’s father, that he might accept the love and light of Jesus in his own life.

Thank you for standing with us.

Mat Staver
Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel