Ministry News

High Court Sides With Colorado Church Over Land Use

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Tuesday, 18 January 2011 16:15

The U.S. Supreme Court last week rejected Boulder (Colo.) County's request for it to review a land-use dispute with a local church. The county was appealing a federal court decision that supported plans by the Rocky Mountain Christian Church in Niwot to nearly double the size of its 128,000-square-foot campus. The church challenged the county's denial of the plans, citing the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which protects churches from discriminatory land-use laws. The high court's decision not to hear the appeal means the jury verdict and ruling of the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals stands. It ends a seven-year legal battle for the church.

"Seven years ago when we began this legal journey we had no idea that it would take so long or cost so much; neither did we know that it would matter so much!" lead pastor Alan Ahlgrim wrote on the church's website. "What we did know was that God had called us to it; and therefore, God would see us through it! Anyone facing any sort of challenge should take encouragement in this. God is always at work, even when (or especially when) we become disheartened, discouraged and weary from the challenge." 

Boulder County has said it treated the church's application the same way it treated others and that it was denied because it would violate land-use codes. Ahlgrim said the church "made a commitment to honor a highly restrictive land use process imposed upon us by Boulder County." 

"At every turn we spoke the truth and determined to endure the process and comply with the law," he said. "We never sought 'special privileges' from the county, only the same rights granted to secular organizations."

Rocky Mountain Christian Church is a nondenominational, multisite congregation. Niwot is the church's main campus.  Sources: AP, Rocky Mountain Christian Church