Kerby Anderson

It is hard to imagine how a coffee house in Laurel, Maryland would be controversial. After all, the Ragamuffins Coffee House is known for not only serving coffee but also for serving up a special blend of community service and worship. Apparently, it is that last item that started all the controversy.

The local church opened the doors to the coffee house and opened its arms to reach out to the homeless and needy families in the community. But a new city ordinance (apparently aimed only at the coffee house) banned them from holding any services in the building. Apparently offering coffee six days a week was fine. But offering an extra shot of God on Sunday was not. Christiana Holcomb (legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom) joined me on the Point of View radio talk show to explain why they had to seek legal action.

The city adopted new zoning codes with the express intention of stopping the church from operating in the city’s downtown area. First, it banned nonprofit organizations, but then changed the law to make houses of worship restricted to second-class zoning. The current law forces churches and other Christian organizations to submit to an expensive, time-consuming, and uncertain special exemption. This is a process not imposed on other secular organizations.

What happened to this church and its coffee house is hardly an exception. Churches, home Bible studies, and Christian schools have had local governments use zoning laws to restrict their activities or even shut them down. Fortunately, there are some encouraging signs.

Various religious liberty groups such as ADF, First Liberty Institute, and the American Center for Law and Justice are taking these cases. And the Justice Department has announced a “Place of Worship” initiative that would enforce religious protections. This is good news for churches and Christian outreaches.