Remember hearing about the “Colorado Cakemaker” a few years ago in the news? Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, has been in the headlines not just for creating beautiful cakes, but for refusing to waver in his convictions through three separate legal battles – one even becoming a Supreme Court case.

For over twelve years, Jack was taken from his storefront and placed in courtrooms to defend his freedom to express what he believes without fear of government punishment. He found himself in the midst of one of the most talked-about Supreme Court decisions in 2018. 

The court ultimately ruled 7-2 in favor of Jack, and expressed its frustration with Colorado’s hostility towards Jack’s beliefs.

Through that time, Jack’s business not only struggled, but Jack also received numerous vicious phone calls, letters, and even death threats. Through it all, Jack trusted God and did not back down from his fight. 

That wasn’t the only time Jack found himself involved in a lawsuit – two more have come since.

Facing the First Trial

In 2012, a same-sex couple requested a custom cake to celebrate their wedding. Jack knew this type of union did not align with his religious beliefs, and he declined the request. He offered to design a cake for the customers for a different event, or sell them a premade cake that didn’t have messaging on it. 

The counteroffer wasn’t enough for the two men, and they filed a complaint. Shortly after, the phone calls started coming in. The state of Colorado was targeting Jack and his business for living out his Christian faith. This was clear when it allowed other Colorado cake artists–but not Jack– to decline to create custom cakes that expressed messages that the artists considered objectionable. Many, many hostile statements were made not only by citizens but by Commission members, one even calling his religious-liberty defense “a despicable piece of rhetoric” and compared him to perpetrators of the Holocaust.

After reaching the Supreme Court, Jack was given justice in 2018 when it(the court) ruled that the government had been hostile to Jack’s religious beliefs. Jack won in a 7-2 ruling, of which the majority opinion held that “the Commission’s hostility was inconsistent with the First Amendment’s guarantee that our laws be applied in a manner that is neutral towards religion.”

Masterpiece Cakeshop Remained a Target

But that wasn’t the end of Colorado coming after Jack.

The very day of the Supreme Court’s decision in Jack’s favor, a local attorney asked for a custom cake. The attorney demanded a blue and pink color scheme to celebrate the attorney’s so-called “transition” from male to female. 

Just as Jack would’ve treated any other customer in that situation, the shop politely declined to create the cake as it conflicted with Jack’s faith.

When Jack declined this request, the attorney filed a complaint with the same Colorado agency that had prosecuted Jack before. Even after the Supreme Court decision, the state decided to target Jack again.

Alliance Defending Freedom was Jack’s legal representation again in this case, in which they sued the state officials for targeting Jack. Colorado dismissed its case against Jack in the spring of 2019, and Jack was once again back creating cakes… but not for long.

A Third Test…

The same attorney from the second lawsuit filed yet another one against Jack for the same cake design that was previously declined by Jack’s shop. The case reached the Colorado Supreme Court in April of 2023, and the case was finally dismissed by the higher court in October of 2024 on the basis of improper filing.

Jack was not afraid to defend his faith when trials and legal battles came his way. But his fearlessness did not come immediately when he became a believer. Jack’s relationship with God began in a very unique way.

When God Changed Jack’s Life

In Jack’s testimony, he began following Jesus as he was driving home from work. Though raised in churchgoing families, his wife Debi and he did not center their family on the Lord in the beginning. 

“I just felt like God came into my car and convicted me of my sins,” he says. Jack realized, “You’re a sinner. You need a Savior. It’s Jesus Christ.” Jack then realized he couldn’t clean up his own life, but that only Jesus Himself could. 

Fear set in on how Jack would go about telling Debi of his new found faith. He felt the Lord prompting him to share with her. Her reply? “Me, too,” she said, “Three days ago.”

Jack’s artistry stemmed from his early skill for painting, drawing, and cartooning. He then combined his art skills with his pastry chef abilities to open what is now Masterpiece Cakeshop.

Jack’s intent was to create a wow-factor, not just a bakery with average cakes. Jack says, “Masterpiece implies the artwork aspect, where we take the different artistic tools and colors and palettes to create the artwork.”

Jack and Debi’s coming to faith radically changed their lives, and upon Masterpiece’s opening, Jack’s primary mission was to honor God through his daily work in providing for his family and employees.

Jack is a pillar of the faith, and we are excited to welcome him to STAND 2026. His continual dependence on the Lord, fortitude in challenges, and strength to press onward is an encouragement to many. We are so thankful that Jack’s courage in standing firm in his convictions, even in the midst of several legal challenges, continues to be a testament of God’s faithfulness.