Lamb's Chapel and the Use of Public Facilities

The victory obtained in the Lamb's Chapel case marked an important turning point for Christians obtaining access to the marketplace of ideas. In a unanimous decision, the Court held that religious organizations confronting contemporary issues from a religious perspective cannot be excluded from access to government property available to other groups. No longer can Christians be treated as second-class citizens.

What is the Lamb's Chapel case?

The facts in the Lamb's Chapel case were straightforward. An evangelical church desired to rent a school facility for an evening showing of a film series produced by Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family ministry. The film series, entitled "Turn Your Heart Toward Home," dealt with contemporary family issues from a biblical perspective. The church's request for use was denied by school administrators because it was "church related." Although the school facilities were available to community groups for social, civic, and recreational purposes, the rules and regulations specifically prohibited any religious use. The Supreme Court ruled against this prohibition, stating that the religious exclusion was unconstitutional.

What is the impact of the Lamb's Chapel case?

In many cities and counties throughout the United States, local school facilities are the town halls of the community. Access to these town halls is essential for Christians who want to have issues addressed from their perspective. Although many in a community may not feel comfortable going to a church to hear a presentation on a contemporary issue, people do feel at ease attending meetings held in community facilities such as school auditoriums and civic centers. The impact of the Lamb's Chapel case is significant. Every government agency, from school boards to city councils, that has access policies in place for its properties must now allow Christians to utilize those facilities as well. We must take advantage of this new openness in the marketplace the Lamb's Chapel case has created.

Does Lamb's Chapel only apply to churches?

No. Although the particular case before the Supreme Court involved the Lamb's Chapel church, now other community groups that want to address issues from a Christian perspective also have access to government facilities that are open to the public for use. For instance, in Mobile, Alabama, an evangelistic ministry known as "Strike Force International" is now entitled to have an evangelistic crusade at the public school in Alabama because of an access policy that had to be modified in light of Lamb's Chapel. Evangelistic events can now take place in school facilities in the evening as well as in city halls or other government facilities open to general use.

Does Lamb's Chapel only apply to school facilities?

No. The decision in Lamb's Chapel applies to any government facility, whether a town hall, civic center, or city hall, that is open to the general public for social, civic, or recreational uses. We have found that most cities across America have access policies to local government buildings for community use. We have also found that most of these cities specifically prohibit religious groups from utilizing these facilities. This religious exclusion is unconstitutional in light of the Lamb's Chapel decision.

What topics can be discussed when using government facilities?

In Lamb's Chapel, the Supreme Court specifically noted that the purpose of the James Dobson film series was to address contemporary family issues from a Christian perspective. But the decision goes much further. Family issues, baccalaureate services for students, evangelistic events, and discussion of contemporary Christian issues can now take place in government facilities because of the decision in Lamb's Chapel. No longer can the excuse of church/state separation be utilized to prohibit Christians from obtaining access to this new marketplace for the presentation of ideas.

What about policies that still prohibit use of government facilities by Christians?

It is time for Christians to go on the offensive and have our voices heard. This will require utilizing the rights that we just obtained from the Supreme Court decision. Unfortunately, many cities are slow to change, and there are still hundreds of policies on the books throughout the United States which specifically prohibit religious groups from utilizing government facilities that are open to the community at large. At The American Center for Law and Justice, we have undertaken a project to have these laws removed and modified so they conform with Lamb's Chapel.

The procedure to gain access to a public facility is straightforward. First, if you decide you are going to utilize facilities, you must fill out an application form that is available at the seat of the local city government. Be forthright in the application, and state specifically what purpose you are going to utilize the facilities for. If the policy still prohibits religious uses, ask the city administrators if they are familiar with the Lamb's Chapel case. If they are not, we would be happy to send a letter on your behalf to clarify for the city government what the decision in the Supreme Court means. If you continue to have problems gaining access, we have sent demand letters -- letters which state the law and inform the city officials what they must do to comply with the law -- to city officials in order to obtain access. Generally, the demand letter resolves the situation. However, if we find that the demand letter is being ignored and your rights are still being denied, we can then proceed immediately to federal court and obtain an injunction, which will require the city officials to allow you to utilize the facilities under their control.

We have already seen the fruit from the decision in Lamb's Chapel. As I said, in Alabama the Lamb's Chapel decision made it possible for an evangelistic event for teenagers to proceed in a local school facility. In Wisconsin, an organization that wanted to present a six-part series on the Christian heritage of our nation was also allowed to meet after the Lamb's Chapel decisions came down. By utilizing government facilities and inviting the public to attend meetings where our view is presented, we gain access to an important arena and marketplace where ideas compete for minds and hearts. This is where we need to be, carrying Christianity into the fray where it can go head-to-head with other world views and demonstrate its intellectual and practical superiority.

ENDNOTES