A media-driven investigation into a church's ballot collection practices sparked controversy in Northern California's Tehama County.
According to The Christian Post, Calvary Chapel Red Bluff faced scrutiny after San Francisco-based news outlet SFGate contacted local election officials questioning the legality of the church's ballot collection campaign.
The church's participation in ballot collection training, conducted in preparation for the November presidential election, drew attention when SFGate raised concerns with Tehama County Clerk and Recorder Sean Houghtby. The initiative was part of a partnership with Real Impact, a ministry of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, designed to facilitate congregation members' voting rights in compliance with California laws.
The controversy intensified when SFGate published an article on November 9 suggesting the church was under investigation. The news outlet, which boasts 25 to 30 million unique monthly readers, questioned county officials about the church's ballot collection efforts. The report cited Houghtby's initial response suggesting potential illegality and referenced a 2020 pandemic-era memo from the California secretary of state.
Tehama County officials, including District Attorney Matthew Rogers and Houghtby, conducted a thorough review of the concerns raised in the media report. Their investigation concluded with a definitive statement on November 22, clearing the church of any wrongdoing. The collaborative review between the District Attorney's Office and the Elections Department found no violations of California election law.
Religious liberty advocacy group Advocates for Faith and Freedom (AFF) met with county officials to discuss the matter. The meeting confirmed that no laws were broken, no case existed, and no pending investigation remained active.
Pastor Greg Phelps emphasized his church's commitment to following state-established procedures for ballot collection. The church maintains that its actions were within the legal framework that permits organizations, including religious institutions, to engage in such activities.
Real Impact Director Gina Gleason, who launched the initiative in 2020 with Pastor Jack Hibbs, addressed the controversy directly. She characterized the SFGate article as "sloppiness" and "lazy," noting the simplicity of ballot collection laws, which primarily require submitting collected ballots within three days.
AFF attorney Robert Tyler expressed concerns about what he sees as a pattern of unfair scrutiny toward faith-based organizations. He argued that religious institutions should not face discrimination when participating in legally permitted civic activities.
Gleason offered her perspective on the media outlet's intentions, suggesting the article may have been designed to discourage other churches from similar involvement. She provided context for understanding ballot collection requirements and expressed concern about potential intimidation tactics.
According to Gleason:
I think that [SFGate] did it as a way to intimidate the church to not ever be involved in something like ballot collecting. This was an attempt to silence the church and not be involved in collecting ballots from people who have a biblical worldview because people that have a biblical worldview tend to be conservative in their voting patterns.
Pastor Phelps reinforced his church's position with this statement:
Churches like ours exist to serve the community, and that includes empowering our congregation to participate in the democratic process. We just want to serve our people and positively affect our community. We will not be silenced or deterred by those who seek to distort our intentions.
Calvary Chapel Red Bluff, located 130 miles north of Sacramento, found itself at the center of a media-driven controversy when SFGate questioned its ballot collection practices with county election officials. The subsequent investigation by Tehama County authorities definitively cleared the church of any wrongdoing, confirming its compliance with California election laws.
