California Official Orders Police and Fire Chaplains to Stop Praying ‘In Jesus’ Name’

A California police chaplain and a fire chaplain are demanding that their local city council revoke a recent order that forbids them from concluding prayers at events “in Jesus’ name.”

First Liberty Institute, a non-profit legal group that aims to defend religious freedoms, sent a letter to the Carlsbad City Council requesting they overturn a recent order by the city manager to keep police chaplain J.C. Cooper and fire chaplain Denny Cooper from praying in the name of Jesus. 

J.C. Cooper is a local pastor who has served as a volunteer chaplain for the Carlsbad Police Department for six years. 

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His father, Denny, has served as the volunteer chaplain for the Fire Department for 18 years. 

According to First Liberty, the Coopers provide support, encouragement, and prayer to first responders as they face traumatic situations. 

In early March, J.C. was asked to give an invocation at the Carlsbad Police Department Awards Ceremony and he concluded the prayer “in Jesus’ name.” 

About a month later, J.C. was told by Police Chief Christie Calderwood that the City Council had decided that unless

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