A Maine court has delivered a stunning verdict in a parental dispute, siding with a father who argued his daughter's evangelical church attendance was "dangerous and harmful."



In 2024, Matthew Bradeen and Emily Bickford found themselves in a heated dispute regarding the religious upbringing of their 11-year-old daughter, Ava. Now, just two years later, the Portland District Court in Maine granted the father, Bradeen, power in its decision, issued on Sept. 1, 2026.

According to AP News, Bickford was taking her daughter to multiple services at Calvary Chapel Greater Portland in Westbrook, Maine. Though described as an evangelical church, Bradeen argued the environment was “dangerous and harmful,” due to the now 13-year-old’s anxiety. Bradeen added that the daughter not only had a panic attack after hearing a sermon on the church’s description of the rapture, but that the church caused psychological harm.

While Newsweek found that “through Liberty Counsel, Bickford has argued that she is a fit parent who has never been found abusive or neglectful and that government officials should not be permitted to decide whether a child can participate in a parent's religious practices,” and highlighted that her daughter had expressed a desire to attend church and maintain relationships, the claims were rejected by the court within the bounds of family law.

Despite varying opinions on the outcome of the case, Michelle King, an attorney representing the father, said Bradeen is happy with the results so far.

"Anytime you're in court, it's stressful," King said. "But this case has definitely garnered a lot of media attention, and I think that's always difficult for parents."

While Calvary Chapel Greater Portland was not an official party in the case, churches in this evangelical network have been at the center of several lawsuits in recent years, says AP News. Such claims have included a 2020 lawsuit by Calvary Chapel of Bangor and a lawsuit against Calvary Chapel Belfast.

While the court in Maine has issued its ruling, this may not be the end of this case. The Associated Press reports that Bickford, the child's mother, has plans to take her case to the highest court in the land, the U.S. Supreme Court.

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