Acknowledging they would likely lose in court, Jackson County and its health department will pay the legal fees of an eastern Jackson County mega church that challenged the county’s COVID-19 restrictions in federal court.
The $146,750 payment to Abundant Life Baptist Church and attorney Jonathan R. Whitehead settles the case filed in May 2020. In exchange for the church dropping its lawsuit, the county agreed that any future health restrictions would be no more onerous on churches than secular gatherings.
Responsibility for paying the settlement is being shared equally by county government and University Health, formerly known as Truman Medical Centers, which runs the county health department.
Abundant Life, which holds services in Blue Springs and Lee’s Summit, had alleged that the county’s COVID-19 recovery plan violated both the U.S. and Missouri constitutions by discriminating against religion.
Thousands attend services each week at Abundant Life. But under the county’s initial easing of COVID-19 restrictions, church services were grouped with other large gatherings and social events and limited to no more than 10 people.
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