(Photo by Joe Kovacs)

A church in Florida is being sued … for holding church!

In its own property.

The fight involving Coastal Family Church in Flagler Beach is being handled by Liberty Counsel, which reported on the dispute that involves state law, religious rights, property rights, civil rights, and the odd attack on the faith organization by a condominium association that apparently opposes Christian meetings.

“We will not allow churches and places of worship to be evicted from their property. We will not only stop this eviction; we will demand that the offending party be held financially responsible for its unlawful actions,” warned Liberty Counsel in a statement about the war.

The odd circumstances developed when Coastal Family bought a space in a strip mall to serve as a church home.

The report said, “Flagler Square is a strip mall in Flagler Beach, FL. The corporate entity that oversees the mall is organized into a ‘condominium’ association, which governs the allowable actions and uses of each of the units (storefronts) in the mall. There are four ‘units’ in the strip center: a discount national brand retail store, a resale consignment store, and the Fraternal Order of Police.”

Coastal Family Church owns the fourth.

But after the congregation bought the facility, paid for renovations, and moved in, holding Sunday services, the “condominium association” purported to order a halt.

The association’s officials objected to any and all “public assemblies” by the church.

The report noted Flagler Square-JAX Inc., one of the original organizers of the condominium, sued Pastor Roderick James Palmer and the church for meeting in the property owned by the church.

“The plaintiff alleges that the church services violate the Condominium Declaration, which includes an attachment titled ‘Prohibited Uses,’ which prohibits several things, including competing discount stores as well as ‘a banquet hall, auditorium, or other place of public assembly,'” Liberty Counsel charged.

But, the legal team noted, one tenant is a discount consignment store and another a police organization, where regularly public speaking events and other meetings are held.

“But ONLY Coastal Family Church is being prohibited from holding public assemblies. That’s clear-cut religious discrimination,” Liberty Counsel charged.

A legal response is being filed, the team said.

“By the way, Florida law clearly states that deed restrictions that violate civil rights and religious free exercise are not enforceable,” it explained.