By RAY ADLER
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Recently, I accidentally met a man by the name of Rob McCoy. Rob was from out of town and needed a ride from his hotel in Westfield to Noblesville. Upon Rob entering my truck, he explained that he was the Senior Pastor of God Speak Calvary Chapel, a large church in One Thousand Oaks, Calif. Pastor McCoy, the son of a conservative Naval Officer father and Republican Activist mother, was an All-American water polo player and national finalist swimmer, graduating from California State University with a BA in History. Later, he received his Seminary Training from the Mennonite Brotherhood Biblical Seminary. In addition to his pastoral work, Rob serves as a member of the Thousand Oaks City Council and was a former Mayor.
An outspoken conservative and commentator on culture, education, vaccinations, and other pressing issues, he came to speak at a Turning Point USA Rally. Although I had never before heard of Turning Point USA, Rob explained that it is one of the largest and fastest growing youth movements in the country. He had been invited to speak to the local Noblesville chapter, which advocates for conservative principles within our school boards and local government.
As a pastor in Soviet California, Rob McCoy, garnered national attention in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis for defying lockdown orders by continuing to host in-person church services. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, California shut down churches (classifying them as non-essential) while allowing marijuana dispensaries, liquor stores, and strip clubs to remain open. To show the absurdity of the government’s arbitrary lockdown classifications, Pastor McCoy did a strip tease at church … well, at least he took his tie off.
For months, God Speak Calvary Chapel, along with many other California churches, defied public health officials by holding indoor church services and asserting that closing the church doors infringes on fundamental religious liberties under both the California and United States Constitutions. In challenging the California government, Rob faced numerous hardships, including being cited for contempt and being forbade from even holding outdoor church services without masks and social distancing.
Despite the ongoing harassment by state and local officials, God Speak Calvary Chapel has seen extraordinary growth in the past two years. According to Rob, attendance has tripled, and online attendance exploded with more than 25,000 subscribers on the church’s YouTube channel. During times of hardship, local churches and church congregations play an irreplaceable role in caring for the community. As God Speak Calvary Chapel’s extraordinary growths demonstrates, the church’s mission and ministry continue through pestilence and peace.
Quite unexpected evenings can happen when you accidentally end up at the right place at the right time to give a stranger a ride to your hometown.
Educational material and not legal advice, written by the team at Adler attorneys. Email andrea@noblesvilleattorney.com with questions or comments.