The federal government is suing a small Idaho town for denying a conditional use permit to let a far-right, evangelical church hold services in its downtown.
City council members in Troy, Idaho, which is about 12 miles east of Moscow, denied the permit to Christ Church elder Matt Meyer in March 2023 and a subsequent appeal.
The Department of Justice said in a press release Tuesday that denial was based on animus against the church and its teachings, which violates the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.
Boise State Public Radio explored Christ Church and its ideology in-depth in Extremely American: Onward Christian Soldiers. They stress strict gender roles and advocate for limiting civil rights for women and those who don’t follow its interpretation of Christianity.
“RLUIPA unequivocally forbids local governments from deciding zoning matters based on their dislike of certain religious groups,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Meyer had purchased a former bank building along the city’s main street, which had been vacant for about a year.
Meyer planned to split the property between office space and event space, including exclusive Sunday use for religious services by Christ Church.
At the time, Troy’s land use ordinance required conditional approval from the city for any new church, regardless of the zone in which it would be located.
Nearly all public comments submitted opposed issuing the permit – several of which included pushback against the church’s conservative ideology.
“The City of Troy welcomes any church to our community,” the denial states. However, it must be denied because the church’s use of the property “...is against the will of the people and will have a negative effect on the City’s ability to grow its business community.”
Just last month, Troy City Council members adopted a new land use ordinance banning 39 different uses within the central business district, including churches and religious facilities.
The suit asks a federal judge to force the city to grant the church permission to worship at the location, along with mandating training for city personnel on federal religious discrimination laws.
A request for comment from the city’s attorney wasn’t immediately returned Tuesday afternoon.
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