California City Complies With ACLJ’s Demand To Stop Interfering With Private In-Home Bible Studies and Religious Gatherings

Following the ACLJ’s involvement, a city in California has reversed course and provided assurances that it will not interfere with residents’ in-home gatherings and Bible studies simply because they are religious.

The ACLJ was first asked to step in after a resident in the community was issued a notice of an alleged zoning violation after holding a gathering in his home for regular religious meetings on Sunday.

In early 2024, our client (a resident of the City of Manhattan Beach) began gathering in the privacy of his own home with fellow Christians to watch church on TV and fellowship together. In April 2024, our client received a notice from the City of Manhattan Code Enforcement notifying him of an alleged zoning violation: establishing a new religious assembly use without a permit.

Our client immediately contacted the city and requested a meeting with city officials. A few days later, during that meeting, city officials informed our client that he could not hold a gathering in his home for any religious purpose or activity without a permit. In this same meeting, however, the city confirmed that his neighbors could have “100 people over every week to watch Lord of the Rings,” and there would be no zoning violation.

Following the meeting, our client emailed city officials and explained that his “takeaway from the meeting is that any amount of people in my house, assuming no noise or no valet parking, that is meeting to discuss religion or even to watch a religious service on the television is in violation of city code. However, if I were to have a party with any amount of people, then I am not in violation of city code.” Our client requested the city to follow up and provide clarification, but they never did.

In the meantime, our client took steps to find a more suitable gathering place for regular, large religious gatherings on Sunday mornings; however, he still wanted to host smaller, private gatherings in his home for religious purposes (such as a Bible study, a seder dinner, or other ancillary religious gatherings) just like all other homeowners are permitted to do for non-religious purposes. Unfortunately, our client was afraid to do so based on the city’s prior instructions indicating that he would be in violation of the city code.

The ACLJ stepped in and reached out directly to the city to inform it that it cannot regulate any and all religious gatherings in residential homes and that any effort to do so in a manner different than non-religious gatherings constitutes discrimination and violates federal law. The ACLJ also asked the city to provide written assurances to our client that it would not interfere in his attempts to gather for Bible studies and other religious purposes.

The city agreed and issued a letter “to clarify the City’s position that typically sized home gatherings, whether for a bible study, seder or other religious purposes, or for non-religious purposes are permitted in the ‘RS’ Residential Single-Family zone in which your residence is located.”

This is not the only issue our client has had with the City of Manhattan Beach. Not only did the city try to stop him from holding religious gatherings in his own home, but they also banned him from renting any public space from the city to hold such a religious service. As we reported to you just a few weeks ago, the ACLJ stepped in to address the city’s discriminatory policy that prohibited the use of its public meeting rooms and facilities for all “religious worship.” The city has provided assurances that it is in the process of amending this policy. We will be sure to update you once that amendment is passed by the city and becomes official.

This is a big victory, not only for our client, but every single resident of this LA-area town and will serve as a reminder to localities across the country that they must uphold religious liberty. If they don’t, the ACLJ will be there to ensure that they do.