Seniors, Others Benefit from 'Church in the Park' Reversal
by Allie Martin
August 22, 2005
(AgapePress) - Owners of a mobile home park in one California city have backed down from a decision that shut the doors on a ministry to senior residents. Earlier this year, an outreach was begun for seniors at a mobile home park in Lake Forest, California. The congregation became known as "The Church in the Park," and received permission to meet in the clubhouse on Sunday mornings. However this summer the park's management said the church could not have any more meetings in the clubhouse, although other organizations were allowed to meet there.
Church members then contacted the Pacific Justice Institute, which intervened on behalf of the congregation. Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, sent a demand letter to managers of the park, explaining that viewpoint discrimination is violation of state law.
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Brad Dacus |
"The California state law says basically that, if you have a senior citizen facility ... or if you have a mobile home park and you have a community center that allows different activities and different things in, they can't discriminate against a community activity just because it's religious -- like a church service," the attorney says. Evidently the letter was effective. "They immediately capitulated, and 35 to 40 senior citizens are once again worshipping the Lord there in that park every Sunday morning," the PJI president says.
Dacus points out that many older and disabled residents had stated they would not be able to attend worship services if it were not for the Church in the Park. He says it is critical that the rights of churches and people of faith to share their message in public venues be defended so that "pinpoints of hope" like Church in the Park are not extinguished.
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
