Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to The New Coffee Room. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Set your (small) coffee on it...
Topic Started: May 12 2006, 06:15 PM (105 Views)
Dewey
Member Avatar
HOLY CARP!!!
http://www.bedfordbulletin.com/articles/20...news/news01.txt

Cowboy Church to challenge ruling
By John Barnhart

Garland Simmons was excited when the Cowboy Church began meeting at his place on Horseshoe Bend Road in late March.

It appears, however, that somebody did not share his enthusiasm. Simmons was notified by Bedford County officials that the Cowboy Church meetings violate county zoning regulations.

"I got the notice certified through the mail, Monday morning," Simmons said.

The notice consisted of two letters. One was from Gary McIver, the county's building official. McIver wrote that, by hosting the Cowboy Church on his property, Simmons is using it in a manner contrary to its agricultural (AR) zoning.

He also wrote that the building in which the Cowboy Church is being held, is defined as a farm building by the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. The Cowboy Church constitutes a change of use for the building.

"We are all in agreement that this event is a worthy and admirable cause," McIver wrote.

However, he wrote that it is an unpermitted change of use for the property.

The other letter was from Lindsay Blankenship, a planner in the county's department of planning. It directs Simmons to "obtain the necessary permits for the establishment of a Religious Assembly" on the property by May 28.

"I don't think it's the county," commented Simmons. "It's somebody that is against religion or against me."

The Rev. Raymond Bell, the Cowboy Church's pastor, agrees that somebody has filed a complaint with the county.

Simmons has retained Robert Wandrei, a Bedford attorney, to represent him. Wandrei said that they plan to try to talk to county officials and get a resolution. Wandrei noted that Simmons has a right to appeal the county's decision.

County Attorney Carl Boggess said that the county has received an appeal from Simmons.

Meanwhile, the Liberty Counsel has contacted Bell. According to Liberty Counsel's Web site at www.lc.org, the organization offers free legal representation to people whose civil liberties have been denied. Bell said the organization called him Friday evening and he agreed to accept their offer of representation.

Bell said that the issue is whether or not we have government authorized churches. He feels the zoning restriction on churches puts the government in a position of authorizing, or not authorizing, a church.

According to Rena Lindevaldsen, the Liberty Counsel attorney representing the Cowboy Church, the zoning code in Bedford County is very broad. It could even impact things people do in their own home and a person hosting a home Bible study could be required to get a special use permit.

Lindevaldsen said that, because the code is overly broad, it violates the Cowboy Church's First Amendment rights, and also runs counter to a federal law, the Religious Land Uses and Institutional Persons Act. According to this law, local zoning can't impose a significant burden on a church's right to worship.

"If he was having a square dance, nobody would have bothered him," noted Lindevaldsen, who said that she has read Bedford County's zoning ordinance.

Lindevaldsen said she will contact Bedford County officials, via letter, this week.

Meanwhile the church has no plans to stop meeting. A Cowboy Church in Thaxton is also scheduled to soon open.


"By nature, i prefer brevity." - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, p. 685.

"Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you." - Anonymous

"Oh sure, every once in a while a turd floated by, but other than that it was just fine." - Joe A., 2011

I'll answer your other comments later, but my primary priority for the rest of the evening is to get drunk." - Klaus, 12/31/14
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Jolly
Member Avatar
Geaux Tigers!
Freedom of Assembly.

I guess we still have that, don't we?
The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.- George Soros
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
« Previous Topic · The New Coffee Room · Next Topic »
Add Reply