Name: Louisville mayor, On Fire Christian Church enter agreement to end drive-in service lawsuit
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Louisville mayor, On Fire Christian Church enter agreement to end drive-in service lawsuit

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Louisville Courier JournalView CommentsLOUISVILLE, Ky.&nbsp;— On Fire Christian Church has reached an agreement with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and city officials to continue to hold drive-in services while abiding by social distancing guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Eleven days after On Fire Christian filed a lawsuit against Fischer for violating religious freedoms by saying the city would not permit drive-in services, attorneys for the church submitted a motion to enter agreed order to&nbsp;U.S. District Judge Justin Walker on Tuesday that would effectively end the judicial proceedings.In the agreed order,&nbsp;On Fire Christian said it will take&nbsp;"reasonable steps" to ensure that drive-in service attendees abide by CDC guidelines, such as maintaining six&nbsp;feet of physical distance between cars on the property and remaining in cars during the service.“We are grateful to Mayor Fischer and Louisville city officials who worked with us to ensure their policies are both consistent with the Constitution and the CDC’s guidelines,” said Roger Byron, senior counsel for First Liberty Institute, one of the groups to represent On Fire Christian.&nbsp;“During this challenging time, we need to see more of this kind of cooperation between government officials and the religious community.”More COVID-19 news:In a statement on Tuesday, Fischer thanked On Fire Christian "for their recognition of the need for social distancing as we battle this deadly pandemic.""My goal all along has been to protect the citizens of Louisville Metro from this dreadful COVID-19 virus,&nbsp;and I believe this Agreed Order accomplishes that goal," Fischer said.If the&nbsp;Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness receives complaints that social distancing guidelines are violated, it can investigate and either conduct an educational meeting with the violator or issue an order requiring immediate compliance by the individual, according to the agreed order. The city can then fine the violator if they repeat their action.Live coronavirus updates:Kentucky coronavirus map:This agreed order comes a little more than a week after Walker issued a sharp rebuke of Fischer, granting On Fire Christian a temporary restraining order for its Easter service."On Holy Thursday, an American mayor criminalized the communal celebration of Easter," Walker wrote in his decision.The dispute has gained the attention of several notable Kentucky elected officials. Both U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron have vocalized their support for the church.Another battle is brewing in the Bluegrass State between a church and an elected official. Maryville Baptist Church, the Bullitt County congregation that&nbsp;held a controversial in-person Easter service&nbsp;despite Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear urging houses of worship to not gather amid the coronavirus pandemic, against the governor.On Saturday,&nbsp;U.S. District Judge David Hale&nbsp; blocking&nbsp;enforcement of&nbsp;Beshear’s order&nbsp;barring faith-based mass gatherings.&nbsp;Church members gathered again anyway Sunday.Hale said that Beshear’s order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 bans all&nbsp;mass gatherings — "i.e., any event or convening that brings together groups of individuals, including&nbsp;civic,&nbsp;public, leisure, faith-based, or sporting events&nbsp;as well as&nbsp;concerts,&nbsp;festivals&nbsp;and&nbsp;conventions"&nbsp;— and thus does not discriminate against religion.Courier Journal reporter Matthew Glowicki contributed to this article.Contact Ben Tobin at &nbsp;and&nbsp;502-582-4181 or follow on Twitter .&nbsp;Support strong local journalism by subscribing today:&nbsp;.View Comments

Louisville Courier JournalView CommentsLOUISVILLE, Ky.&nbsp;— On Fire Christian Church has reached an agreement with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and city officials to continue to hold drive-in services while abiding by social distancing guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Eleven days after On Fire Christian filed a lawsuit against Fischer for violating religious freedoms by saying the city would not permit drive-in services, attorneys for the church submitted a motion to enter agreed order to&nbsp;U.S. District Judge Justin Walker on Tuesday that would...

Louisville mayor, On Fire Christian Church enter agreement to end drive-in service lawsuit

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