Pastor Jose Castro leads Gethsemani Baptist Church in San Luis, Arizona. The congregation has distributed hundreds of thousands of pounds of food. It is the only food ministry in the city, serving about 300 families with every distribution. They also donate food to other churches in surrounding cities and in California.
The city celebrated and supported Gethsemani Baptist for many years. During the pandemic, the church organized 15 drive-thru events for families to obtain food. Two were held in the parking lot at city hall, where city council members helped distribute food. But that all changed after a new Mayor Nieves Riedel and officials took over in San Luis.
Now, officials are abusing zoning codes to stop the church’s ministry to feed the hungry.
Last fall, the city ordered the church to stop using semi-trucks for food delivery at its property. The church offered to use smaller trucks. The city denied the request and told the church it must stop the food ministry entirely. They even sent code enforcers to the church to issue multiple citations against the pastor, which could result in criminal charges if he is cited one more time.
Meanwhile, the city continually turns a blind eye to commercial trucks and businesses regularly violating the same city codes in the same zoning area.
The city’s hostility and intimidation tactics have forced the church and Pastor Jose to pause the ministry, as they cannot afford the heavy fines or to relocate.
Federal and state law say that houses of worship must be treated equally. It’s illegal for the government to discriminate against them. San Luis’s unlawful actions must stop—and your support today can help us win for Gethsemani Baptist.
*If contributions exceed the immediate needs of a specific project or case, First Liberty may redirect funds at its discretion to provide support for other religious liberty matters.
– First Liberty Senior Counsel, Jeremy Dys
Churches shouldn’t be threatened or fined for feeding the hungry and caring for the most vulnerable. It betrays what religious freedom is all about.
The First Amendment protects the right of houses of worship to live out their faith—which most certainly includes compassionate ministries that help people in need. Government should support, not punish, houses of worship that do essential work for their communities.
That’s why First Liberty is going to court to defend Pastor Jose and Gethsemani Baptist Church. We filed a lawsuit asking a federal court to stop the city from abusing its city code and to allow the church to continue its ministry.
With your support, we can win this case. It would mean so much to the Pastor, the congregants and the hundreds of families impacted by this ministry. And by winning for this church, you’re also going to help protect religious freedom for every American, including YOU.
Pastor Jose needs your support. Please give to First Liberty today.
*If contributions exceed the immediate needs of a specific project or case, First Liberty may redirect funds at its discretion to provide support for other religious liberty matters.
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