Atlanta Church Disputes Removal of 12 Foster Teens from Temporary Shelter

Clayton County officials defend removing teens from church basement. Church insists officials knew and gave approval.

An Atlanta church is seeking answers after authorities removed 12 foster youth from its basement in the middle of the night.

Now Faith Apostolic Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia / Photo via Google Maps

Now Faith Apostolic Ministries in Clayton County, Georgia, is demanding an explanation from county officials after the fire marshal ordered 12 youth temporarily living in the church basement to leave in the middle of the night due to code violations—despite having nowhere else to go.

On the night of July 29, Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services arrived at the church following a reported incident.

Upon their arrival, the crew discovered that a dozen 15- to 19-year-olds were living in the building, as the church’s basement had been converted into living quarters for the minors without approval or proper safety measures.

Fire Marshal personnel then conducted an inspection and issued five citations to the church for issues involving fire safety systems, exit requirements, and “general requirements for board and care.” Because the church was not properly zoned to house the youths, authorities called DFACS to help relocate the teens.

But the church is pushing back, asserting they had authorization to temporarily house the teens after flooding forced the closure of their regular state-approved facility.

Now Faith issued a formal statement calling the news circulating that the foster children were living in the basement “misleading.”

The church says it relocated the youth to its basement after unexpected flooding damaged their permanent licensed treatment facility, noting that the site has operated as a state-approved emergency placement location for the past seven years.

According to the church, the relocation followed all state protocols, and the teens were under continuous supervision by a professional, 24/7 treatment and monitoring team. The Georgia Division of Family & Children Services also approved the move and, according to the church, expressed no concerns about the safety or legality of the arrangement. Leaders say the children’s well-being remained the top priority throughout the process.

The statement also suggests there may have been another motive behind the teens’ removal, noting that Senior Pastor C.H. Braddy has publicly criticized Clayton County officials, including raising concerns about governance and the campaign practices of Chairwoman Alieka Anderson-Henry.

Braddy alleged that Fire Chief Tim Sweat and Chairwoman Dr. Alieka Anderson-Henry had previously campaigned at Now Faith Apostolic Ministries while the church was housing children and were aware of the church’s mission to assist the Department of Human Services.

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But he says his church became a target when he rejected alleged kickbacks from county officials, implying the “anonymous tip” that prompted the removal of the teens was in response to that.

County officials disputed the church’s claims in a press conference conducted on August 8: “We acted strictly on the presence of fire code in which we are authorized,” stated Chief Sweat.

Sweat also said state officials confirmed they had not authorized the relocation of the children to the church, despite Braddy’s claims that they had.

Clayton County officials emphasized the decision was based solely on life safety concerns and the facility’s failure to meet fire code standards, not on living conditions inside.

Church leaders maintain the 12 teens were only “temporarily” relocated to Now Faith Apostolic Church because of the flooding.

County Commissioner DeMont Davis released a statement voicing his support for the church and Braddy, commending their decision to provide supervised shelter for children in need. He said that while laws, codes, and ordinances play an essential role in ensuring safety and accountability, they should never be “weaponized” to discourage or penalize genuine acts of service, adding that recent reporting fails to acknowledge the church’s historic and ongoing role as a sanctuary for the most vulnerable.

“The church did not fail these children—the system did,” the statement reads. “And when it did, Bishop Braddy and Now Faith Apostolic Ministries answered the call without hesitation, and answered with heart.”

A reporter from WSB-TV Atlanta said he spoke with one of the teens claiming to be one of the 12 living in the basement. The teen claims his case manager was aware they were living at the church and approved of the living arrangements.

A 15-year-old foster teen shared his distress with FOX 5 after being abruptly removed, “The staff there are very nice, caring… It was actually very nice compared to most group homes I’ve been in.”

A DFCS spokesperson said in a statement with multiple local news outlets that because of state and federal law, they couldn’t comment on whether they knew the church was housing the children.

The church owners could pay up to $1,000 per violation. The  Clayton County Code Enforcement Board will review the citations on September 9.

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