Episode 6: Tree of Life

Todd Marrah, Superintendent of Tree of Life Christian Schools, oversees a growing student body, new state-of-the-art facilities, and more acreage than he ever anticipated. This comes after learning in May that the Supreme Court refused to hear his schools’ case. Tree of Life had intended to argue that the city of Upper Arlington in Ohio was discriminating against it by not allowing Tree of Life to operate their Christian School in a building they own. Upper Arlington said the building wasn’t zoned to house a school and that the city was unwilling to lose the taxing opportunity.

But Tree of Life and Alliance Defending Freedom saw something else—a city intentionally changing laws to exclude religious organizations. We spoke with Marrah about the eight-year battle ADF fought on behalf of Tree of Life and the how the school is now thriving.

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Behind the Frontlines is paid for by Alliance Defending Freedom and produced by CT Creative Studio.

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Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania has been making public, and sometimes unpopular, choices in the name of Christianity for quite some time. Geneva was the first institution in its state to grant degrees to women and freed slaves in the 1860s. In the 1960s, Geneva adopted a document called “the foundational concepts of Christian education,” which they follow to this day. And just a few years ago, Geneva found itself fighting against legislation that forced the college to provide abortifacient drugs as part of its healthcare plan.

We spoke with Dr. Calvin Troup, the President of Geneva College, about what it was like to lead the school through a public legal battle. With a Board of Trustees to answer to and students to educate, Dr. Troup couldn’t focus on the legal parameters of a controversy like this. Fortunately, that’s where Alliance Defending Freedom shines—providing legal advocacy, counsel, and representation.

Tune in to hear from Dr. Troup about the conviction, clarity, and community at the heart of this case.

What is “Behind the Frontlines: Religious Liberty in America”?

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Behind the Frontlines is paid for by Alliance Defending Freedom and produced by CT Creative Studio.

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Who would ever think that a Supreme Court case would involve preschoolers, playgrounds, scrap tire materials, and religious freedom? Up until a few years ago, Annette Kiehne of Trinity Lutheran Child Learning Center certainly didn’t.

But soon, Trinity Lutheran would be the focus of one.

When Kiehne learned that the Missouri Department of Natural Resource had launched a grant program to recycle scrap tire materials into playground chips, she contacted the agency to ensure her school was eligible. Meeting all the requirements, she applied and soon learned that Trinity Lutheran was ranked fifth out of fifty-four applicants based on the agency’s criteria. But when the award period came, Kiehne and others at Trinity Lutheran Child Learning Center learned that their application had been denied solely because they were religious.

We spoke with Kiehne about the decision to take on this case and what it was like to fight for a safe playground—and religious liberty.

What is “Behind the Frontlines: Religious Liberty in America”?

Follow our guests on Twitter: Alliance Defending Freedom

Behind the Frontlines is paid for by Alliance Defending Freedom and produced by CT Creative Studio.

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When Pastor Esteban Carrasco’s church in Southern Massachusetts obtained a housing unit, he knew exactly what to do with it. Pastor Carrasco and his wife, Rebekah, wanted to open a shelter for domestic violence victims. They set out to found House of Destiny Ministries in honor of Rebekah’s grandmother who had been domestically abused.

But their plans were interrupted when the state mandated that women’s bathrooms, showers, and even overnight accommodations must also be open to biological males. The Carrascos were determined to create a safe place for women who had been harmed. And so they, along with a few other local churches, joined Alliance Defending Freedom in a legal battle on behalf of churches across the state.

We spoke with Pastor Esteban Carrasco for this third episode of Behind the Frontlines: Religious Liberty in America. Tune in as we discuss advocating for the safety of vulnerable women and the relief of finding a champion in ADF as they fought for religious freedom.

What is “ Behind the Frontlines: Religious Liberty in America ”?

Follow our guests on Twitter: Alliance Defending Freedom, Esteban Carrasco

Behind the Frontlines is paid for by Alliance Defending Freedom and produced by CT Creative Studio.

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Foothill Church in Glendora, California, has long advocated for the sanctity of human life. When a state agency mandated that Foothill cover elective abortion in its employee healthcare plan, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) came alongside the church. Now, ADF is providing representation in a case that demands an answer to a fundamental question: Can the government force a church to fund abortions, in order to promote its pro-abortion agenda, or otherwise force churches to violate their beliefs?

Chris Lewis, Pastor of Foothill Church, joined us for our second episode of Behind the Frontlines: Religious Liberty in America. Listen as Pastor Lewis shares his perspective on the government’s relationship with the Church. He describes how his church has upheld the sanctity of life because it is a Gospel issue, and he explains how ADF has joined Foothill Church on its journey.

What is “Behind the Frontlines: Religious Liberty in America”?

Follow our guests on Twitter: Alliance Defending Freedom, Chris Lewis

Behind the Frontlines is paid for by Alliance Defending Freedom and produced by CT Creative Studio.

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What does it look like for Christians to fight for justice and freedom in the courtroom?

Lawyers at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) engage their professions not merely as careers but as callings. They approach issues of religious liberty with sobriety, fervor, and joy.

ADF often draws media attention when they participate in cases involving gender identity or sexual orientation, but ADF sees itself as a much broader organization—one fundamentally concerned with religious liberty and the freedom to pursue faith fully.

On the first episode of Behind the Frontlines, we spoke with attorneys Christiana Holcomb and Erik Stanley who work with ADF and their Church and Ministry Alliance. Christiana and Erik discuss their love for the church and how they ended up at ADF. They also reveal what it’s like to work for an organization that has been to the Supreme Court nine times in the past seven years.

What is “ Behind the Frontlines: Religious Liberty in America ”?

Follow our guests on Twitter: Alliance Defending Freedom, Christiana Holcomb, Erik Stanley

Behind the Frontlines is paid for by Alliance Defending Freedom and produced by CT Creative Studio.

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Christians are at a crossroads. What's at stake? The ability to freely live out the gospel in America. On Behind the Front Lines: Religious Liberty in America, we'll hear from people who found themselves in the middle of the battle for religious freedom.

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