A church in Montreal is challenging a $2,500 fine for hosting U.S. worship leader Sean Feucht after city officials canceled his Canadian tour stop earlier this summer.

Ministerios Restauración, a Spanish-speaking congregation in the Plateau-Mont-Royal area, is pleading not guilty to breaking a city bylaw when it opened its doors to Feucht in July.

Their legal team, supported by The Democracy Fund, has appealed in both municipal and Quebec Superior Court, claiming the city acted unlawfully and violated constitutional rights.

Litigation director Mark Joseph said this is the "first step" in defending the church and "ensuring that Christians in Canada have the same rights to freely and peacefully worship as anyone else."

The appeal is asking for the fine to be dismissed, recognition of the church’s right to hold worship services, and $10,000 in damages for alleged violations of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Montreal officials maintain the penalty was justified because the church hosted Feucht despite objections to his views.

A spokesperson for Mayor Valérie Plante said at the time: "Freedom of expression is one of our fundamental values, but hateful and discriminatory speech is not acceptable in Montreal."

Feucht, who has been outspoken on issues including abortion and transgender ideology, described the city’s response as evidence of rising hostility toward Christianity in Canada.

He warned that "to publicly profess deeply held Christian beliefs is to be labeled an extremist, and to have a free worship event classified as a public safety risk."

The event itself was disrupted by a smoke bomb, with police arresting one protester.