Join us in thanking the Lord that a settlement agreement has been reached between Los Angeles County and Grace Community Church. In the opinion of our lawyers, this settlement is nothing less than a total victory and complete vindication of our position. In exchange for resolving the lawsuits, the State of California and County of Los Angeles agreed to drop all legal charges, lawsuits, injunctions, fines, and other penalties they were attempting to claim against GCC. In addition, the Los Angeles County Flood Control District agreed to fully reinstate the rental agreement for the parking spaces that they previously tried to terminate, an action that we and our lawyers viewed as retaliatory and improper. Perhaps most remarkably, and tellingly, the State and County agreed to pay $800,000 for our legal fees. The following is a statement from Pastor John:
We are very grateful for our Lord’s protection and providence throughout this past year. Our commitment to the Word of God and His church has never wavered. We have simply continued to stand firm, as we always have and always will. We put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who is the head of the church. Over the past year, our congregation has seen His hand of blessing in ways like never before, and the Lord’s promise has been realized: “I will build My church and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” I am thankful for the advocacy of our attorneys, Jenna Ellis and Charles LiMandri, and this outcome.
In giving glory to God for His faithfulness to our church in the past year, we’ve put together this timeline of significant events.