by Stefan Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
LOS ANGELES, USA (Worthy News) – Authorities in the most populous county of the United States have banned meetings of Church on the Beach, which had been holding public beach services for nearly two decades.
The decision by Los Angeles County has been challenged by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). “For 18 years, Church on the Beach has been faithfully serving its community by holding worship services on Redondo Beach with proper permits from Los Angeles County,” the advocacy group said in a statement obtained by Worthy News on Tuesday.
“Approximately 120 people gather every Sunday morning to worship in God’s creation, with many attendees specifically choosing this setting because they have had difficult or negative experiences in traditional church buildings,” the ACLJ added.
The group said its legal team sent a detailed demand letter to officials, outlining the “constitutional violations” of singling out one organization because of its viewpoint and discriminating against members.
“Our letter made it clear that the county’s actions violate well-established First Amendment principles as articulated by the Supreme Court in cases like Widmar v. Vincent and Lamb’s Chapel.”
The ACLJ warned that it had given Los Angeles County “until March 20, 2025, to provide assurances that this discriminatory policy will be ended and that churches will be free to use the beach under the same generally applicable rules as nonreligious gatherings.”
NO PERMITS
Yet the Department of Beaches and Harbors recently told the Church on the Beach that it would no longer issue yearly permits for “religious activities,” Worthy News learned.
Instead, the county reportedly announced that “grandfathered” groups would be allowed only six annual events, with $250 permit fees required for four.
It also is restricting the meetings to specific locations.
“The key fact: None of these rules apply to nonreligious groups. Even more concerning, a county official told the pastor that churches ‘don’t need the beach’ because they can ‘meet in a building’ – a statement that demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of both religious freedom and the specific ministry of Church on the Beach,” the ACLJ complained.
The Church on the Beach views its mission as reaching at least some of the county’s nearly 9.7 million people with the Gospel who may otherwise not attend worship services.
The ACLJ added that the “beach location isn’t merely a preference – it’s a crucial component of their ministry’s outreach to those who might never step foot in a conventional church.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Lenny Kuhr, the Dutch Jewish singer-songwriter who was among the winners of the world’s largest televised song contest and influenced generations with heartfelt chansons, is leaving her native Netherlands, citing rising antisemitism.
China has freed the last two church leaders detained for nearly four years following a controversial police raid on a Christian gathering, amid ongoing concerns over religious persecution.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Jewish Americans — and citizens of all backgrounds — to observe a national Shabbat from sundown on May 15 through nightfall on May 16 as part of Jewish American Heritage Month and the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
Israel carried out a major airstrike in Beirut on Wednesday night, killing a senior commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in the first strike on the Lebanese capital since before the ceasefire took effect last month.
New high-resolution satellite images from Airbus taken on April 8, 2026, reveal that Iran has significantly expanded defensive measures around the underground tunnel complex at the Esfahan Nuclear Complex, a site believed to house much of the regime’s highly enriched uranium stockpile.
Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that a federal anti-fraud task force launched by President Donald Trump has uncovered widespread abuse within the nation’s food assistance system, including nearly 186,000 deceased individuals allegedly still receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
A new report from NBC Newsclaims that President Donald Trump was forced to pause the U.S. military’s “Project Freedom” operation in the Strait of Hormuz after pressure from Saudi Arabia and Gulf allies threatened critical American military access in the region.