AZ Church to Resume Food Distribution Ministry After Settling Lawsuit
Settlement includes $200,000 payment to Gethsemani Baptist Church.
A church that has been prevented from its benevolent food distribution in San Luis, Arizona, for two years can resume its ministry to those in need.
Gethsamani Baptist Church in San Luis, Arizona / Photo by Google Maps
According to a press release by First Liberty, a public interest law firm defending religious freedom, Gethsemani Baptist Church and the City of San Luis have reached a settlement that will allow the church to continue its feeding ministry.
“I am thankful to God that I can continue serving my community,” Gethsemani Pastor Jose Castro said. “We hope to continue being a blessing to San Luis for many years.”
For years the City of San Luis worked with the church, providing a warehouse for the church to store most of the food and supplies, according to court filings. Semi-trucks transported food from the warehouse and parked in the church parking lot to unload.
In 2023, the city began citing the pastor of Gethsemani and threatening an enforcement action against the church for zoning code violations if it didn’t cease operations. The church tried to work with the city for a resolution, but when none could be reached, it filed a federal lawsuit in March 2024 alleging violations of the U.S. Constitution Free Exercise clause, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), and the Arizona Free Exercise of Religion Act.
A consent decree entered by a U.S. District Court at the end of September ordered the city to issue a conditional use permit to the church within 120 days of receiving the church’s application and waive any associated fees.
The permit will allow food ministry events at the church on four Saturdays per month from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The church can use semi-trucks to transport goods for distribution at the Saturday events, but the trucks cannot be stored at the church property or along the residential streets near the church, nor can the trucks’ engines be running during the loading or unloading process.
Further, the church agreed to provide garbage containers for any rubbish generated by the food distribution events, to properly dispose of the garbage in commercial containers, and to take measures to maintain a pest-free environment.
The order allows for Gethsemani Baptist Church to host holiday events at Christmas and Thanksgiving in addition to the regular Saturday distribution events.
The City of San Luis also agreed to pay Gethsemani $200,000.
“Gethsemani Baptist Church has only ever wanted to continue its 25-year mission of providing food for the hungry, hurting people in their community,” First Liberty Senior Counsel Ryan Gardner said in a press release. “We are grateful that the city’s agreement will ensure that the church can carry on its ministry serving the vulnerable families in Yuma County.”
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