Houston Pastor Prevails In Battle To Say “Jesus Christ” In Prayer

Pastor Scott Rainey, who heads the Living Word of The Nazarene Church, is celebrating a huge victory before Memorial Day.

He’s no longer being asked to remove the words “Jesus Christ” from the prayer he prepared to give during a ceremony at Houston’s National Cemetery, which is operated by the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

The cemetery’s director asked Rainey to remove the words to make the service more “inclusive” and non-denominational.

The Liberty Institute filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Pastor.  Harris County Republican Party Chairman Jared Woodfill also urged followers to call the cemetery and register their displeasure.

Federal Judge Lynn Hughes issued a temporary restraining order Thursday evening.

In court Friday, the VA and cemetery director backed down.

However, Judge Hughes left the TRO in place to ensure there wouldn’t be any problems when the special observance for fallen solders is held on Monday.