Churches and the Right to Worship in Schools

Pastor Erin Kerr and his church congregation have been meeting every Sunday since a few weeks before Easter for all the things a Christian church normally does – worship, a pastor’s sermon, Bible study for children, and fellowship.

There’s only one thing that sets Mission Hope Covenant Church in Tustin, Calif., apart from most churches in the U.S. They meet in a school.

However, all across the country a large number of new churches that are waiting on owning a building or a property, are renting out school facilities for Sunday services. So, it is no surprise that a recent ruling by a panel of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that may bar any religious worship in New York City schools has Christians in the U.S. watching carefully.

In the last 10 years of being a pastor and church leader, Kerr has been a part of five churches that have held Sunday services inside schools. He said he was disappointed to hear about the ruling which determined that NYC schools that allow church services appear to promote a particular faith.

“It seems to be a biased ruling,” Kerr said. “It’s a bias against a church when other groups are allowed.”

The circuit court's decision last week that involved a Bronx church noted that "a worship service is an act of organized religion that consecrates the place in which it is performed, making it a church." In a 2-1 ruling, the court determined that New York City public schools can prohibit churches from using the facilities for worship services.

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