Ohio churches disenfranchised by lack of federal enforcement of FACE Act (VIDEO)

NORTH CENTRAL OHIO — U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Department of Justice (DOJ) will work tirelessly to protect and advance reproductive freedom. When it comes to religious freedom, the DOJ appears to be asleep at the wheel and faith leaders are making a round trip.

Several clergy representing over one hundred congregations gave Congressman Jim Jordan a prayer proclamation last month stating they pray GOD will help the Judiciary Committee Chairman bring accountability to a weaponized Justice Department. They cited out of 125 cases of pro-abortion terrorism on churches and pregnancy resource centers, the DOJ has produced only 4 indictments from these incidents. The cases continue to mount.

Eleven days following the meeting with Congressman Jim Jordan, a Shelby church in Richland County was vandalized to the tune of nearly $12,000 in damages. While the attack on the church has been publicized and is a federal offense, no suspect has been charged, and a federal investigation has yet to be initiated.

In 1994, the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act was enacted to protect both reproductive health services and houses of religious worship equally.  Richland County Prosecutor Jodie Schumacher says the FACE Act law appears to be ambiguous.

“It is sad that we have these circumstances (vandalism at houses of worship). It seems any person with knowledge could begin or initiate a conversation with a federal investigative agency; typically it usually involves an aggrieved party reaching out.”

“However, in this instance 18 USC 247(g) states ‘no prosecution of any offense described in this section shall be undertaken by the United States except upon the certification in writing of the Attorney General or his designee that in his judgment a prosecution by the United States is in the public interest and necessary to secure substantial justice.’   Based on this provision, I am not certain where to point houses of worship, other than in the direction of their respective federal legislative representative.”    

18 U.S. Code § 247 refers to Damage to religious property and the obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs. The law says, ‘Whoever intentionally defaces, damages, or destroys any religious real property, because of the religious character of that property, or attempts to do so; or intentionally obstructs, by force or threat of force, including by threat of force against religious real property, or any person in that person’s free exercise of religious beliefs, shall be punished.

The federal law also says, “if damage to or destruction of property results from the acts committed in violation of this section, exceeds $5,000, a fine in accordance with this title, imprisonment can occur for not more than three years.”

Belmont 96 Church in Shelby was not the only house of worship that has been vandalized with damages exceeding $5,000. Christ the King Church in nearby Knox County sustained extensive damages in an incident the Wednesday prior to Resurrection Day in 2022.

Pastor Lucian Baker’s Fredericktown church was attacked by a South Carolina man just days before the church’s biggest Sunday of the year. Gary T. Jackson, age 34, walked two days to get to the church and did $53,000 worth of damages. He was only charged with a fifth degree felony and served 320 days in jail with a $1,320 fine. Though the incident was sixteen months ago, the church has never been contacted by the FBI or Justice Department. Church surveillance cameras caught footage of the man and local news carried the story.

Both clergymen are chaplains with the Sheriff’s Department, both have an armed volunteer security team, and both are co-signers of the prayer proclamation for Rep. Jim Jordan. Neither have been contacted by the FBI or Justice Department after federal offenses against their church buildings occurred.

Pastor Hank Webb of Belmont 96 Church maintains the Church consists of people and not bricks and mortar. “After the vandalism incident last month, our young people have been raising the roof during our nightly revival services. We have seen at least thirteen people commit their lives to Christ and yesterday we had some more baptisms. It seems as more crimes are committed against churches, the more relevant the Body of Christ becomes in reaching the next generation.”

The Bottom Line:

The Bible says in Psalm Twenty, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember and trust in the Name of the LORD our God. They have bowed down and fallen, but we have risen and stood upright.”

View the video below of the Ohio clergy meeting with Rep. Jim Jordan

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