The U.S. Supreme Court recently announced that it would not review a lower-court decision backing New York City's decision to ban the Bronx Household of Faith, an Evangelical congregation, from holding its Sunday services at Public School 15, where the church has held worship services since 2002.

As a result, the 2 to 1 decision of the 2nd Circuit Appeals Court in Bronx Household of Faith v. Board of Education of the City of New York will stand. The Court decided that church services were prohibited in public school buildings. It noted, "A worship service is an act of organized religion that consecrates the place in which it is performed, making it a church." The judges further noted, "The place has, at least for a time, become the church."

New York City is now in the process of evicting hundreds of churches that currently rent public school facilities for weekend services. The New York Times found that at least 160 churches rented public schools during the 2010-11 academic year. The City has ordered all churches out by February 12, 2012.

Available and affordable real estate property is a rare commodity in New York City and extremely difficult to come by. If this decision is allowed to stand, the planting of new churches would become almost impossible. Many existing City churches would simply close.

Although today the case impacts New York City churches meeting in City schools, some feel that opponents of organized religion could be emboldened to make a move banning churches from meeting in schools or other public places anywhere in the state. As evidence of this, we need look no further than the recent New York Daily News editorial entitled New York City Housing Authority shouldn’t evict churches: Bloomberg administration’s war on religion. The News notes that the Bloomberg Administration is moving beyond merely evicting churches from City schools, but City Housing Authority common spaces as well.

A Legislative Solution

State Senator Marty Golden (R-Brooklyn) and Member of Assembly Nelson Castro (D-Bronx) have introduced legislation, S.6087 (Golden) / A.8800 (Castro) that would permit churches to continue meeting in City schools. Their legislation authorizes the use of school buildings and school sites for religious meetings and worship when not in use for school purposes or when such service or worship is deemed not disruptive of normal school operations. To save the churches from eviction this legislation must be passed and signed into law by February 2012.

New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms is working with these legislators, but we need your help.

Take Action

Pastors, please write a letter to your State Senator and Member of Assembly supporting this legislation. Ask your elected officials to not only vote for the bill, but to also cosponsor the legislation. If your church currently meets in a public school, please state the impact an eviction would have on your ministry. If your church now has its own building, but began in a public school; explain the importance of this issue. Use this opportunity to educate legislators about the matter.

Not sure who your elected state representatives are or how to contact them? Find out at this link.

Then send a copy of your letter to Sen. Marty Golden (7408 5th Avenue 1st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11209) and Asm. Nelson Castro (2175C Jerome Ave., Bronx, NY 10453).

Many reading this are not pastors, but asking what can I do? NYCF is encouraging all concerned New Yorkers to make sure that their pastors are aware of this situation, but also to personally contact their elected officials and urge their support.

TAKE ACTION: We have created a special Action Alert that will allow you to quickly and easily contact your elected officials about this matter.

View New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms' position paper supporting this legislation here.