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
Mexico was mourning Monday after gunmen opened fire at a soccer field in the central city of Salamanca, killing at least 11 people and wounding a dozen others in the latest mass attack linked to organized crime violence.
Authorities in Pakistan have detained two prominent human rights lawyers known for defending people accused of blasphemy against Islam and exposing what supporters describe as a “blasphemy business” network, sources told Worthy News.
British police have banned a “Walk with Jesus” march through a predominantly Muslim part of London, citing concerns it could lead to “violence and serious disorder.”
An Irish Christian teacher has been jailed again for appearing at a central Ireland school despite being dismissed over what supporters describe as “misgendering” a transgender student.
Indonesian emergency workers on Sunday resumed search-and-rescue efforts for scores of people missing after a landslide killed more than two dozen villagers in the country’s West Java province.
Officials say Ukraine and Russia ended U.S.-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi without a deal, though more negotiations are expected next weekend despite ongoing attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that a U.S. security guarantees document for Ukraine is “100% ready” following trilateral talks involving Ukraine, the United States, and Russia aimed at ending the nearly four-year war.