Maine Supreme Court Upholds Father's Authority Over Daughter's Church Attendance

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court has unanimously upheld a lower court ruling that grants a father final decision-making authority over his daughter's attendance at her mother's evangelical church, concluding that the mother's inability to co-parent on religious matters necessitated the allocation of power to one parent. The decision, issued on September 2, 2026, affirms a 2024 order from a Portland District Court judge in a custody dispute between Matthew Bradeen and Emily Bickford over their daughter, who is now 13. The case centered on Bickford taking their daughter to Calvary Chapel Greater Portland in Westbrook multiple times per week. Bradeen argued the church environment was psychologically harmful, testifying that his daughter suffered panic attacks after hearing teachings about the Rapture, a belief that Christians will be taken to heaven while nonbelievers face the apocalypse. A key incident involved a church service where pastor Travis Carey led a prayer naming the parents and child nearly 30 times, describing Bradeen as "in need of salvation" and calling the court proceedings "an attack on God's Word.