Churches—What are they good for?

Besides the (hopefully) obvious benefit that churches provide to those who are already part of the flock, so to speak, churches also provide many benefits to others in the community.  These include both the spiritual and physical kind.  So why is it that some government officials insist on treating churches and other religious groups as unwelcomed members of the community?

There are many instances of discrimination against churches across the country, but I’ll just discuss two.  The first takes place in New York City where the school district has opened up its facilities to community groups when not in use.  There are nearly 1200 individual school facilities that are opened up to nearly 10,000 separate community uses each year.  Uses by groups such as J&R Pizza (an essential, coming from an Italian), Mouse, Inc. (afraid to ask), Peoples Rights (that must be important), Groove With Me (yeah, dude), Big Apple Circus (clowns are a bit creepy, but that’s a whole other thing), Crafty Ladies (I am assuming this is not ladies who are crafty, but who make crafts), Safe Space (of course), American Martyrs (not sure how long this group will last), Sex and the City filming (what can I say), and Dodge Ball Champions (they need a home, too).  There are also several churches, such as the Bronx Household of Faith, and other religious organizations from a variety of faiths that use these facilities for their worship services, or at least have for the past more than fifteen years, until recently, that is.

The City has decided that the churches present more of a problem than do these other groups.  What type of problems, you may ask.  Well, apparently there are small children brought to tears because they think their school has literally been turned into a church when they meet there once a week.  You heard it; that is what the school district claims.  But are these (made-up) kids upset because the empty school building turns into a circus (no school jokes here, please), or a Sex & the City studio (nor, here), or Madison Square Garden for the Dodge Ball champs (come to think of it, nor here either)?  Of course not, that argument is silly.  The buildings do not turn into anything when each of the thousands of groups meets there.  It’s a win-win relationship that benefits the community groups because affordable rental space is not easy to come by in New York, and it benefits the district by bringing in millions of dollars in rent.

But is that the only benefit that churches help to bring to the school community?  I think not.  Just a few other benefits include churches allowing school students to use their musical instruments free of charge; paying for the installation of an air conditioning unit in the school, and painting several schools.  This also does not include the obvious spiritual benefits to those who are hurting (and even to those who are not).  Nor does it include the other important benefits that churches bring, including reduction of crime, and the provision of clothes, food, financial and other assistance to those in need.

So why do these government officials, including the Mayor of New York, insist on kicking the churches out in the cold?  Because they can.

And briefly, the second example:  A Kids for Christ club in Owasso, Oklahoma, meets in a local school before classes begin and has been for over a year.  As with all other community groups, they have also been allowed to advertise their meetings through flyers, announcements, signs and bulletin boards.  Until recently, that is.  Why have they been singled out for exclusion?  Because they are religious, and after all, what benefits do religious groups provide?  Well, ironically, after booting out the club, school officials asked them to provide care packages– not once but twice– stocked with school supplies, toys, toiletries, etc. for needy kids, which they gladly did.  So let me get this straight.  You don’t want to treat religious groups the same as all other community groups because they are religious, but then want them to help those in need because they are religious.  I get it.  Government logic at its best.

Cold winds and rain did not stop pastors, elected officials and other people of faith from gathering over a three hour period Thursday in the Bronx to urge Mayor Michael Bloomberg to reverse the order by his Department of Education expelling all churches and other religious groups from meeting for worship services in the public schools after February 12.  Mayor Bloomberg gave his annual State of the City speech at Morris High School in the Bronx (I don’t know whether a church meets there or not on Sunday mornings).  People came and joined the rally throughout the three hours, alternatively praying, singing and listening to speakers who spoke through a bullhorn to the crowd.   Approximately 200 gathered at the height of the rally.  Approximately 43 crossed police lines to pray peacefully to draw attention to the unjust policy.  The police arrested the 43 for disorderly conduct.

Here are some observations from yesterday’s rally:

Many are praying, fasting and crying out to God to allow their churches to remain in the schools.  Many pastors are finding it difficult to find an affordable facility for their churches to meet.  They are responding not only by the public rallies and letter writing to Mayor Bloomberg, but also by praying, fasting and asking for the Lord’s help.  The New York Times on Thursday reported on one those prayer meetings at Calvary Baptist Church in midtown Manhattan.  Pastor Dimos Salebarrios of InfinityNY Church, whose church faced eviction from meeting in a Bronx housing project until the City relented last week,  has been fasting since January 1. Many are feeling anew how dependent they are on the Lord as they realize that they may be meeting in people’s homes after February 12. They are looking to see the Lord move powerfully to protect them from this unjust policy.

The opposition to the anti-worship policy is bipartisan, multiracial, and across income lines.  You only have to look at the photos of the rallies to see the myriad faces of people – Hispanic, black, Asian, white, etc. .  They span all income groups, with many poor people attending who see their local churches as the community where they find help, hope and guidance.  A group of Hispanic pastors, all wearing matching white windbreakers came to the rally Thursday.  People offered prayers in English and Spanish.   The main leaders of the movement to repeal the ban is NYC Councilman (and pastor) Fernando Cabreras and Dimos Salaberrios.  Assemblyman Nelson Castro has introduced the bill in the New York Legislature to prohibit policies like New York City’s policy prohibiting worship services. This is a broad-based movement with widespread support.

The opposition to the policy is growing nationally.   The situation in New York City is drawing increasing attention by people nationally.  I have done radio and TV interviews around the nation.  Tony Perkins, leader of the Family Research Council, came to the rally on Wednesday. More and more church leaders, elected officials and others are calling to express their shock and opposition to New York City’s actions. We hope that many from around the nation will write, call and email Mayor Bloomberg, urging him to repeal the policy and allow the churches to stay.

There will be more rallies between now and February 12.  Please continue to pray for the churches in New York City.  And contact Mayor Bloomberg, urging him to repeal this policy.

In the first big victory for equal access in New York City this year, the NYC Housing Authority on Friday relented of its efforts to evict the churches meeting for worship services at the community centers of the public housing projects. Pastor Joe Fletcher of Bronx Bible Church, and Pastor Dimos Salaberrios of Infinity New York Church, received calls last Friday from NYC Housing Authority officials, who told the pastors that the City was willing to sign long term agreements so that the churches could continue conducting their worship services in the projects.  At least five churches meet in the City’s housing projects’ community centers.

In December, after the Supreme Court denied review in the  Bronx Household of Faith case, the Housing Authority sought to expand the ban on worship services from the NYC public schools to include the community centers at public housing projects. These facilities are open to all community groups and individuals to meet.   This was an unwarranted expansion of a court decision.  In the Bronx Household of Faith case, the appeals court did not give a comprehensive blank check to City officials to eradicate private religious worship services from every public forum in New York City.

Pastor Salaberrios, along with Councilman Fernando Cabrera, led the demonstration in lower Manhattan on Wednesday that resulted in several pastors and Councilman Cabrera being arrested for trespass as they sought to draw attention to the Housing Authority’s efforts to adopt a policy like the Department of Education’s banning worship services.

The Housing Authority made the right decision.  These churches offer the people who live in the projects the hope of the Gospel and help for their daily needs.  To drive out the churches based on a discredited, extreme notion of “separation of church and state” would not help the people in the projects or the City.  We hope and pray that the City will also rescind its policy banning worship services in the public schools.

____

Be sure to join us for a prayer rally at Mayor Bloomberg’s State of the City speech Thursday, January 12 at noon at Morris High School in the Bronx

To stay informed about the NYC equal access battle visit http://www.righttoworship.com/

The pastors in New York City leading the fight for equal access and against the NYC Department of Education’s ban on worship services in the public schools plan a prayer rally at Mayor Bloomberg’s State of the City speech Thursday, January 12 at noon at Morris High School in the Bronx (1100 Boston Road, at the corner of 167th St. in the Bronx).  The pastors are focusing their appeals on Mayor Bloomberg because the NYC public schools are under the direction of the Mayor’s Department of Education, so he can change the policy and allow religious groups to conduct their worship services on the same terms that other community groups are allowed to come.

We need a huge turnout of concerned Christians and of other people of faith to show their support for religious freedom. This is one of the major battles for religious liberty happening right now in the United States. Many people around the nation can identify with what is happening in New York City, because they belong to churches that have met for a time in a public school, or are currently meeting there. We do not want to see the New York City anti-worship service policy spread to other school districts.

It is time for people to stand up for religious liberty, for government accommodation of freedom of speech and diversity, and to reject this extreme policy that singles out private religious expression for exclusion from government buildings generally open to community groups and their expression.  The government does not show it is “neutral” towards religion, when it treats religion worse than everyone else.

I urge everyone who lives in or near New York City to consider attending this prayer rally in New York City on Thursday. It is important for all Americans to stand with our brothers and sisters in New York City who are fighting for faith, freedom and equal access.

New York City pastors are leading a growing movement opposing the New York City Department of Education’s policy banning worship services conducted by religious groups. Today several NYC pastors and NYC Councilman Fernando Cabrera were arrested for trespassing when they prayed in front of the door of the building where the City’s Law Department has its offices. The seven arrested did so to draw attention to New York City’s efforts to expand the ban on worship services to public buildings beyond public schools.

Last month, two churches meeting in community centers connected to public housing projects in the Bronx were told that they would have to stop meeting for worship services at the end of December while the New York City Housing Authority considered adopting a policy similar to the NYC Department of Education banning worship services.  The Housing Authority officials told the pastors they were doing so in light of the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear ADF’s Bronx Household of Faith case, which upheld the NYC Department of Education’s policy prohibiting community groups from conducting worship services in public schools during off hours. ADF attorneys successfully convinced the Housing Authority to delay the order for the churches to leave until the end of February. ADF has been strongly urging the Housing Authority to allow the churches to remain and not to adopt the anti-worship policy like the public schools have.

New York City has extended the time the churches can remain in the schools to conduct worship services until February 12.  The growing efforts of the NYC pastors is to convince the Department of Education to extend the time the churches may remain in the schools, repeal the anti-worship services policy, and not allow it to spread to other areas of City-run facilities, like the Housing Authority.  They are also supporting legislation introduced by Assemblyman Nelson Castro at the New York Legislature to amend state law to allow religious groups to conduct worship services in New York public schools during non-school hours.

This increased church activism for equal access was prompted by the Supreme Court’s decision on December 5 not to review the Bronx Household of Faith decision by the federal appeals court in New York City upholding the ban on private worship services in public schools during non-school hours. Rather than dying down, the issue has sprung to life because pastors realized that the City government was on the verge of limiting their religious liberty right to equal access that New York City denies.

This equal access issue is becoming a public relations nightmare for New York City officials.   Last week, the New York Times reported how a pastor unexpectedly stood up at Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s interfaith prayer breakfast and urged him to allow the churches to remain meeting in the schools past February 12.  Mayor Bloomberg responded by saying, “I hear you.  We’ll be happy to talk about that,” according to the Times article.  Also, officials for the New York City Housing Authority are now backtracking from their directives given to at least two pastors in December that their churches would have to stop conducting worship services at the community centers after the end of December.  The pastors hope the increasing public scrutiny will cause the Housing Authority not to adopt the anti-worship service policy.