The city of Daytona Beach, Florida has finally overturned a policy that blocked a church from helping hungry families, officially rejecting a city ordinance that had been used to target the church's food pantry.
It's a rare positive development among a growing number of cases that have sprung up across the country in states like Ohio, Colorado, North Carolina, Florida, and California, involving cities punishing ministries trying to help the hungry or homeless.
First Liberty Institute and the law firm Sidley Austin L.L.P. represented Seventh Day Baptist Church in a federal lawsuit against Daytona Beach. "There can be no doubt that the Church has suffered irreparable harm because the injury involves a violation of the First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion," the motion asserted.
While the case was ongoing, the city agreed to let the church resume its food distribution ministry, but the ordinance was still on the books.
Now that the ordinance has been officially repealed, the temporary agreement has become permanent and the federal court has dropped the case.
"We are grateful to Daytona Beach city officials for working with us so that Seventh Baptist can resume its mission of providing food for the hungry, hurting people in the community," said Ryan Gardner, Counsel at First Liberty Institute. "People who take action to care for the hungry should be encouraged and affirmed. The church is thrilled to be able to continue helping those in need."
The church had operated its food pantry for vulnerable families in the community since 2007, earning support from the city and its citizens.
When the church moved to its current location within a city-defined "redevelopment area," the city initially let the church keep operating its food pantry for a while.
Then First Liberty reported, "The city only decided to target the church's Food Pantry after a former City Commissioner and her spouse exerted political pressure, complaining that, among other things, 'these types of feeding programs are plagues to the efforts to redevelop a neighborhood.'"
After the city filed an enforcement action, the church was forced to close the pantry and file a federal lawsuit until the city and church officials were able to work out an agreement.
Other Cities Still Fighting Ministries to the Poor
Meanwhile, a city in Ohio is still battling with the Dad's Place church led by Chris Avell. The city has filed criminal charges against him for helping the needy.
First Liberty contends "the city is criminalizing compassion."
Latest update here:
In California, one city council has levied massive fines of approximately $300,000 against a small church for helping the homeless.
And as CBN News has reported, The Rock, a church in Castle Rock, Colorado, is suing the city to maintain its homeless ministry after local officials tried to shut it down.
"Rather than punishing these pastors, cities should be encouraging them and praising them for their good efforts," Jeremy Dys, Senior Counsel for First Liberty, recently told CBN News.
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