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 Becket Fund Defends Lansing Church in Federal Court of AppealsSep 20, 2006 The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments today in the case of Okemos Christian Center v. Meridian Charter Township (Michigan) as The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty continues to fight for the church’s right to expand on its property in suburban Lansing.
Meridian is appealing Okemos’ resounding victory last year in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA). The church is seeking to expand its existing building in order to support its growing congregation and accommodate its school, Dominion Leadership Academy, which has been forced to shut down due to Meridian’s restrictions.
RLUIPA is a federal law that protects houses of worship from zoning laws that deny them the right to actually establish a home for worship. Meridian appealed the district court’s ruling which brought the case to the circuit court based in Cincinnati, where The Becket Fund is meeting them head on with its undefeated record in RLUIPA cases.
“We have won RLUIPA cases for churches in other circuit courts, but this is the first time the 6th Circuit Court has heard such a case,” said Derek Gaubatz, director of litigation for The Becket Fund. “We are confident that, like other federal courts, the 6th Circuit Court will uphold the right to assemble for worship.”
Several organizations have filed or are participating in “friend of the court” briefs in support of Okemos Christian Center, including the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, the Church of God, the American Jewish Congress, the Association of Christian Schools International, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, and the Queens Federation of Churches.
“At the heart of the matter is the right of any religious organization to practice its beliefs without government interference,” Gaubatz said. “That includes protection from laws that unfairly stop church members from gathering together for basic activities like worship and religious teaching.”
The Becket Fund has developed a national reputation as the leading force litigating cases under RLUIPA and the First Amendment.
A decision by the 6th Circuit is expected in three to eight months.
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