Church in D.C. Suburb Told:  No Bible Study Allowed

ACLJ Files Federal Lawsuit in Fairfax County, Va., to Defend Church's Right to Conduct Bible Study and Religious Ministry Classes

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va., July 6, 2006—The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a church in suburban Washington D.C. to defend the church's constitutional right to offer Bible and ministry classes. The ACLJ suit challenges the county's claim that Bible study and religious ministry classes were not included as part of the church's use permit and that if the church wants to conduct classes it has to qualify as a college or university.

"Like any other house of worship in the country, an integral part of the church's ministry is a study of the Bible, and the writings and beliefs sacred to its religion," said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the ACLJ. "When Fairfax County approved the church's use permit there was no issue that religious education, which had already taken place at the church since the 1980s, was a central aspect of its mission."

The suit filed this week in federal court in Alexandria, Va., asserts Fairfax County's actions violated McLean Bible Church's constitutional rights to religious free exercise, freedom of speech and association, and equal protection, as well as its statutory rights under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).

In 2001, the church entered into an agreement with Capitol Bible Seminary (CBS) to administer some aspects of its Bible study and religious ministry classes. The lawsuit argues that involvement with the seminary has not changed the church's educational program or purpose and that the scope, nature and relative size of the classes have not changed. In addition, the church does not issue any academic credit or attempt to confer any academic degrees. 

Fairfax County's contention is that because CBS may, at its discretion, award credit for classes held at the church and could allow those credits to be used toward obtaining a CBS Theology Degree, McLean Bible Church must now qualify as a college or university in order for classes to continue.

But the ACLJ argues that McLean Bible Church, one of the largest churches in metro D.C., is a house of worship and has no desire to be officially recognized as anything else.

"Other churches in Fairfax County hold the same or similar classes, and commercial businesses have been permitted to conduct degree credit classes without first obtaining a permit as a college or university," added Sekulow.

The ACLJ specializes in constitutional law and is based in Washington D.C. The ACLJ is online at www.aclj.org.

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