The City of Brunswick, Georgia tried to shut down a Christian charity that ministers to the homeless. The United States Department of Justice has filed a complaint to bar the city’s actions. The DOJ filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia accusing officials of wrongly trying to shut down a homeless ministry known as The Well.
Brunswick is accused of breaking the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000. The Well is run by FaithWorks, and organization affiliated with he South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. The Well started operating in Brunswick in 2014, and the facility serves as a place where the homeless can shelter from harsh weather, and receive meals and showers.
The lawsuit went on to say that “Operating The Well is an expression of faith that is substantially burdened by the City’s efforts to permanently close The Well. FaithWorks, which runs The Well, is an extension of the Methodist Church, and providing basic services to the poor and unhoused individuals are cornerstones of FaithWorks’ religious practice.”
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the DOJ Civil Rights Division said in a statement that the Christian ministry was within its rights to operate in Brunswick. “Federal law protects the right of religious groups such as The Well to use their land to help others,” she explained. “The division will continue to vindicate the rights of groups to exercise their religion and fight local land use laws that unlawfully restrict those rights.”
The City of Brunswick ordered The Well to shut down for 60 days in April of 2023. The city was responding to reports that the homeless attracted to the charity were committing violence and disrupting the rest of the community. During the closure, staff members at The Well made changes to security and added polices to address local concerns about safety. However the city filed another nuisance complaint after the 60 days expired.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports this statement from Rev. Wright Culpepper of FaithWork “It is our greatest concern that many in our community are suffering without access to rest, safety, or protection from the elements, often vulnerable to exploitation,” he said. “We are committed to doing more to help those who need it most.” He never stopped helping the homeless even during the legal trouble.
The Rev. Wright Culpepper of FaithWorks thanked the DOJ for filing its complaint against Brunswick, saying that the suit should bring “much needed” relief. “The Superior Court lawsuit — though a temporarily stayed order of the court — created an additional cloud of uncertainty that delayed our ability to continue our services and respond more quickly to the needs of those in crisis,” stated Culpepper.