Colorado and Teller County Drop AWMI Lawsuit after Supreme Court Finds Caps on Religious Gatherings Unconstitutional
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The unconstitutional limits now abandoned by state and county officials include caps on how many people can attend worship services.
WOODLAND PARK, COLORADO, UNITED STATES, December 18, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Colorado state and Teller County public health officials dropped their lawsuit today against Andrew Wommack Ministries, Inc. (AWMI) in which they had sought to enforce COVID restrictions on AWMI’s religious gatherings.
The dismissal of the lawsuit follows the announcement on December 7 by state officials, which finally recognized that houses of worship are “critical” and which dropped the unconstitutional COVID limits on religious gatherings contained in many previous executive orders.
The unconstitutional limits now abandoned by state and county officials include caps on how many people can attend worship services. The new Colorado Public Health Order removing the restrictions (PHO 20-36) was apparently a response to the November 25 decision by the United States Supreme Court in Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo where the high court struck down similar rules against churches and synagogues in New York based on the First Amendment.
“We are pleased by the Governor’s decision to drop the case. Standing up for the free exercise of religion and our Constitutional rights has not been easy, but I believe it has been worth it. America was built on religious freedom and it is the most important right we have,” said Andrew Wommack, Founder and President of AWMI.
Liberty Counsel’s founder and Chief Counsel Mat Staver has represented AWMI throughout the dispute beginning with a cease-and-desist letter from Colorado’s Attorney General on July 3, during the Ministry’s annual Summer Family Bible Conference. “From the beginning, we stood for our convictions and our constitutional rights. Colorado’s amendments to PHO 20-36 could not be clearer that our efforts were not in vain. Constitutional rights cannot be laid aside, even during a public health crisis,” commented Staver.
The Ministry’s next on-campus public event is its annual Men’s Advance conference, scheduled for March 2021. AWMI intends to continue implementing reasonable COVID restrictions to help protect the health and safety of all who come on campus.
“It’s unfortunate that it took a protracted legal battle to prove what should have been obvious – that the government cannot discriminate against religious worship. However, we are certainly gratified that freedom of religion has been successfully defended.” said Andrew Wertz, Senior Vice President of Andrew Wommack Ministries and Charis Bible College. “The Ministry blesses and thanks all its partners and supporters, as well as those in the local community, who stood with us and prayed to safeguard the religious freedoms that the Constitution guarantees not only us, but every American,”
About: Charis Bible College and Andrew Wommack Ministries first broke ground in Woodland Park in 2012 and have contributed significantly to the health and vitality of the community’s economy as one of the largest employers in the area. In 2019, the Bible College and AWM headquarters created 539 total jobs for Woodland Park. From 2012 to 2019, the Ministry generated economic activity resulting in about $4.0 million of tax revenue for local governments.
For additional information, please contact our media spokesperson from Liberty Counsel, Holly Meade: holly@lc.org and 407.875.1776.
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