Barronelle Stutzman

Christians know to “count it all joy” when we face “trials of various kinds.” Those are the words of the Apostle James writing to followers of Jesus Christ nearly 2000 years ago. But it’s one thing to know those words. It’s quite another thing to live by them.

Hardships don’t naturally incline us to joy. If they did, they wouldn’t be hardships. So when—by God’s grace—Christian men and women are able to rejoice amid suffering, their stories are worth celebrating and sharing as an encouragement to the rest of us.

Barronelle Stutzman is one such Christian woman.

Who is Barronelle Stutzman?

Barronelle (now retired) ran Arlene’s Flowers in Richland, Washington. She started working at the business decades ago, helping her mom make deliveries and cleaning up around the shop. It wasn’t the most appealing work, but it led Barronelle to a realization: florists don’t just sell flowers; they create beautiful works of art.

What’s more, Barronelle found that she had a knack for creating those designs herself. She understood how to arrange different flowers and different colors. Floral art became Barronelle’s calling and ministry.

“She’s not just a boss, she’s a friend, and a sister in Christ,” says one woman who worked with Barronelle for many years. “When we need prayer, or someone to talk to, she’s always there.”

That’s just the person Barronelle is. Her Christian faith informed everything she did at Arlene’s Flowers—from her interactions with employees to her care for her customers. That love, that care gave Barronelle a well-deserved reputation as the go-to florist in her county for decades.

A blossoming friendship?

One of Barronelle’s longtime customers was a man named Rob Ingersoll. Barronelle describes Rob as a “great guy” with whom she had a friendly relationship.

“He likes different, unique things,” Barronelle says. “He’d come in and say, ‘I’m having a party,’ or “It’s a special occasion,’ or ‘I just want something fun,’ and he’d pick out really unusual things—a vase or something—and say, ‘Do your thing.’

“It was really fun and enjoyable, because I got to use my creative side and make something off-the-wall. He always loved it. That’s just the kind of relationship we had.”

Over the years, Barronelle got to know more about Rob and his life. She knew that Rob was in a same-sex relationship, but that didn’t affect her ability to work with him. Barronelle would serve anyone who walked into Arlene’s Flowers—regardless of how they identify.

A difficult conversation

Barronelle was caught off guard one day when someone on her crew mentioned that Rob had stopped by earlier in the day looking for her.

He wanted Barronelle to design the floral arrangements for his same-sex wedding.

“It was very difficult,” she says. “My husband and I talked it over, and it basically boiled down to the fact that I could not do Rob’s wedding, because of my relationship with Christ.”

But she knew it would be hard to tell this to Rob.

He stopped by the shop again the next day, eager to share his plans. Barronelle put her hands over his and gently explained how her Christian faith meant she could not design the flowers for his ceremony.

“He was very gracious,” Barronelle remembers. “He said, ‘I understand.’” They made some small talk and shared a hug before Rob left the store. Barronelle even recommended three nearby florists she trusted to do a good job.

But that wasn’t the end of the story. It was only the beginning.

Anger, animosity, and an aggressive attorney general

After Rob’s partner posted on social media about Barronelle’s decision, she began receiving hate mail, angry phone calls, and even death threats.

“The calls were … not very nice,” Barronelle remembers. “Very hateful, very threatening, things you could not repeat. Things I had to look up, because I had no idea what they meant.”

Arlene’s Flowers ended up with a stack of angry mail three feet high. “What went through my mind was how sad it all was,” Barronelle says. “It’s just very sad that those people are that angry.”

One person seemed particularly affected by Barronelle’s decision to follow her conscience and stay true to her faith in Christ. That person was Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson—the state’s chief law enforcement officer.

He had learned about the Facebook post and had decided to sue Barronelle to make an example of her.

Attorney General Ferguson filed a consumer protection lawsuit against Barronelle. The suit charged her with illegally discriminating against Rob Ingersoll and his partner on the basis of their sexual orientation.

No one had asked the attorney general to file a lawsuit. Not Rob Ingersoll. Not his partner. What’s more, Attorney General Ferguson sued Barronelle in both her professional capacity and her personal capacity, putting her at risk of losing not just her business but nearly everything, including her retirement savings. On top of all that, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a separate lawsuit against Barronelle (which was later consolidated into the same case).

Six years in the courts

After Barronelle was served with the attorney general’s lawsuit, some of her friends told her about Alliance Defending Freedom. ADF attorneys sprang into action to put together a legal team for the floral artist.

Unfortunately, a Washington state court ruled against Barronelle, saying she must pay penalties and attorneys’ fees for declining to use her artistic abilities to design the custom floral arrangements. On appeal, the Washington Supreme Court sadly agreed. So Barronelle and ADF appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In June 2018, the High Court decided to send Barronelle’s case back to the Washington Supreme Court. That’s because the justices had just issued a decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. In that case, the Court ruled that the state of Colorado had acted with “clear and impermissible hostility” toward ADF client Jack Philips, who had declined to design a custom wedding cake for a same-sex wedding. The justices agreed that Barronelle’s case, and the judgment against her, should be reconsidered based on the ruling in Masterpiece.

So Barronelle Stutzman went back to the Washington Supreme Court, which ruled against her a second time. Once again, ADF attorneys asked the Supreme Court to hear her case. But this time, the justices declined. Barronelle’s case had seemingly come to a close.

Passing the torch

To settle the case, Barronelle agreed to pay Rob Ingersoll and his partner just $5,000 and withdraw a pending petition for rehearing at the U.S. Supreme Court. After years of pressure by Attorney General Ferguson, Barronelle ended her case with her conscience intact. Not once did she have to act against her Christian beliefs.

“I am willing to turn the legal struggle for freedom over to others. At age 77, it’s time to retire,” she said in a letter. “I’ve never had to compromise my conscience or go against my faith. I’ve met so many, many kind and wonderful people, who’ve generously offered me their prayers and encouragement and support. And I’ve been blessed with outstanding attorneys through Alliance Defending Freedom who’ve given me not only their legal skills, but their thoughtful friendship.”

But while Barronelle’s legal journey had ended, another was in full swing. Lorie Smith, a graphic artist who owns a design studio called 303 Creative, found herself in a position similar to Barronelle’s.

Lorie had challenged a law in Colorado that required her to create website designs that violate her beliefs about marriage. While the Arlene’s Flowers case was concluding, the 303 Creative case was pending review at the Supreme Court. In February 2022, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Lorie’s case, and a little over a year later, the justices issued a strong ruling protecting free speech for all.

Steadfast under trial

Later in his epistle, the Apostle James speaks of the importance of patience. He writes that “we consider those blessed who remained steadfast” and uses the image of a farmer.

“See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient” (James 5:7-8).

Barronelle Stutzman exercised great patience during a years-long trial. While the outcome was not the one she had wanted, Barronelle’s trust was not in the court system. It was in her Lord, Jesus Christ.

Looking back, we can see how Barronelle’s case helped pave the way for the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Lorie’s case. Major rulings like that are often years or even decades in the making. So at ADF, we play to win the long game. We rely on the generosity of people like you to make that possible! Thanks to our Ministry Friends, we never charge our clients a dime to defend them in court. Will you give today to support our efforts to keep the doors open for the Gospel?