Divorce and custody battles are always painful and difficult. They become even more complicated when one parent wants to raise a child in their faith and the other parent strongly opposes it. That’s what happened in Samantha’s case.*
Samantha’s story began outside the church, when she was in a same-sex relationship with her partner. Years after the two were legally married in Massachusetts, Samantha came to know Jesus and committed her life to Christ. As her faith grew, her desires and values began to change—and she started taking her young daughter to church.
Over time, Samantha’s relationship with her partner deteriorated as Samantha left her former way of life and sought to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Divorce papers were filed, and what followed was both a legal and deeply personal battle.
As the case unfolded, one issue began to take center stage: Samantha was bringing her daughter to a church that teaches God created marriage and sexuality to be shared between one man and one woman. That teaching was deeply offensive to Samantha’s partner. But Samantha could not compromise her convictions—and she believed she had a responsibility to raise her daughter in the truth.
Then something startling happened. The Massachusetts family court judge handling Samantha’s case issued a preliminary order banning her from taking her daughter to church, asserting that doing so would alienate the child from Samantha’s partner, who continued living a same-sex lifestyle. Samantha’s fundamental right to raise her child consistent with her religious beliefs was placed on the back burner.
That’s where MFI came in. While we couldn’t handle Samantha’s case directly, we provided expert legal research showing that the judge’s decision was unconstitutional. Samantha’s attorneys appealed the order, but before the appellate court issued a ruling, the judge voluntarily lifted it.
Still, the fight wasn’t over. Although the temporary order was lifted, Samantha’s case still had to go to trial. MFI helped connect Samantha with an experienced Christian trial attorney and worked to secure grant funding to assist with her legal fees.
In December of 2025, the court issued its decision in Samantha’s case. We are grateful to report that the final ruling did not include a single reference to Samantha’s church or her religious beliefs, and it contains no language that would prevent her from taking her daughter to any church or religious event of her choosing. Her daughter will be able to hear the Gospel again.
This is a significant victory for religious freedom and parental rights in an area of law where those rights are too often treated as optional. And as similar cases arise in states like Maine and elsewhere, MFI will remain vigilant to defend parents’ rights and push back against unlawful restrictions on faith in the family.
*A pseudonym has been used for the client to ensure privacy and confidentiality.
