BRISTOL, Tenn. – Shouts of praise went up Friday when a judge cast a preacher and three squabbling sisters out of his court – along with any demons that might have sneaked in – and warned them to leave one another alone.

All four faced assault charges in a case that made headlines across the country and in Europe. None got to testify.

"This is the most ridiculous case I have ever seen in the court system," General Sessions Court Judge Bill Watson said. "You people should be ashamed."

Reba Storey, 46, claimed the Rev. Clarence "June" Love, 83, called her demon-possessed, twisted her arm – which was bandaged from skin cancer surgery – and threw her out of the Assemblies of Jesus Church on Jan. 9.

She and her sister Mary Steele, 64, showed up at the four-member church that Sunday morning in blue jeans to see their 88-year-old mother, Maude Yates. The church forbids women to wear pants.

The pastor left his pulpit and ordered them out.

"He said, ‘You’re not wearing pants in my church, you demon,’ " Storey said. "I said, ‘I’m so glad I serve a God who can work through my pants.’ "

Love and another sister, 68-year-old Rosa Harrison – the preacher’s girlfriend – said the pair burst into the church on Jackson Street with a bogus story about another sister being airlifted to the hospital.

They grabbed the mother, shoved everyone else out of the way and tried to carry her out the door, Harrison said.

The preacher said he never touched anyone.

"I asked them to leave," he said. "They told me to shut my mouth. God knows my heart. I’ve never been cruel to no woman. They’re just troublemakers."

Steele and Storey blamed the trouble on their sister, Harrison, who they said won’t let them see their mother.

Steele said Harrison smacked her with the mother’s cane, yelling, "Mom’s not going anywhere."

Love called 911 from a house across the street, and the sisters turned themselves in to police on assault charges that evening. They filed their own charges the next day against the pastor and his girlfriend, while Harrison and the mother asked for protective orders against the women.

"Their actions have put us in fear for our safety," Harrison wrote.

All sides hauled in aunts, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and other relatives for their day in court. They couldn’t decide whether to be angrier at one another or at the Bristol Herald Courier for reporting on the case.

"I don’t want my picture in the newspaper again," Steele said.

The judge granted the protective orders, reset the case and ordered the sisters to stay away from the preacher, his girlfriend and the mother for the next year. If they can avoid fighting for that long, the judge could dismiss the charges at a hearing next January.

"It’s a sad day when you have people go in a place of worship and do what was done in this case," the judge said. "I hope I never see a case like this come before this court again."

"Amen!" the preacher said.

The same goes for Love and his girlfriend, the judge said.

"Ministers are held to a higher standard," Watson said. "For you to get dragged into this is just unacceptable."

The decision also covers a charge of misdemeanor theft against Storey. Harrison claimed the sister stole her cell phone, but lawyers couldn’t agree whether Harrison even owned a phone.

Love, the pastor, threw up his hands in benediction and hugged his girlfriend as he left the courthouse.

"I feel like I’m still in the hands of God, and he’ll take care of everything," he said. "I’m satisfied, and that’s all I’m going to say."

Love said he plans to return to his church, where he says the sisters have driven away the congregation. The preacher wouldn’t say whether he still thought Storey was possessed.

"All this has hurt the church real bad," he said.

The sisters – both in blue jeans – agreed to the reset but didn’t look as happy. Storey, still favoring her bandaged arm, said she plans to pursue her case in civil court.

"Do I look like I have a demon?" she said. "That’s defamation of character. He had no business touching me."

Steele agreed.

"I don’t think it’s ridiculous," she said. "I think we should have had a trial."

The mother, hard of hearing and in a wheelchair recovering from a broken hip, barely seemed to understand what happened.

"Mrs. Yates, are you satisfied with the way this case is being handled today?" a sheriff’s deputy asked her loudly.

"I guess, if you all think it’s OK," the mother said.

She turned to her son, who sat beside her.

"What did he just say?" she asked.

The sisters said they’ll obey the judge’s order and won’t go back to the church.

"Who would want to go back and have the devil preach at you?" Storey said.

Harrison still faces an assault charge in Bristol Virginia, where another sister, Lue Rogers, claims Harrison slapped her and hit her with a purse when Rogers tried to visit their mother at a nursing home.

Harrison asked for a protective order against that sister as well but dropped the request Friday.

"She knew she was lying," Rogers said.

If any of the four violate the judge’s order, all of the charges will come back to court for trial. The judge said he won’t be so merciful if that happens.

"If you don’t have anything good to say in church and aren’t getting a blessing out of it, just stay away," he said.