Justice for the Needy: California Church Fights $300K Fine to Resume Homeless Ministry

“Rather than punishing these pastors, cities should be encouraging them and praising them for their good efforts,”

A small church in Northern California is battling a staggering $300,000 fine to continue its life-saving outreach to the homeless after local officials abruptly shut down its ministry. City Church 242, based in Fairfield, California, has appealed the fine in an effort to revive its efforts to feed, shelter, and provide medical care to the community’s most vulnerable.

The legal battle has drawn the support of the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), a non-profit legal defense group representing the church. For over 15 years, the church has been a beacon of hope for Fairfield’s homeless, but that changed in 2022 when local politics came into play, according to PJI.

“While Fairfield plays petty politics, the most vulnerable suffer,” said Matt McReynolds, Deputy Chief Counsel for PJI. “With winter now approaching, it’s time for the city to abandon these retaliatory, strong-arm tactics and reopen this life-saving refuge.”

A Beacon of Compassion: A Ministry Under Siege

City Church 242, under the leadership of Pastor Scott Mulvey, has served as a crucial safety net for the homeless since 2007. The church’s outreach program, which provided free meals, overnight parking for those living in their vehicles, a medical clinic, and a residential work training program, grew in response to California’s surging homeless crisis.

The city once praised the church’s efforts, even partnering with them to provide tents for homeless residents. But according to PJI, things took a dramatic turn when Pastor Mulvey entered local politics, running for City Council at the urging of frustrated residents.

“After more than 15 years of ministry to the needy, the church suddenly found itself besieged with a barrage of enforcement actions,” PJI stated in a press release. The city ordered the removal of military surplus tents it had previously provided, shut down the medical clinic, dispersed participants in the work training program, and threatened to tow vehicles parked on church property overnight.

Bureaucratic Hurdles and Unyielding Fines

Despite years of cooperation with local officials—upgrading their building and adhering to zoning requirements—the city is now demanding over $300,000 in fines before allowing any further outreach activities. The church, through PJI, is fighting back, with a public hearing before the Fairfield Planning Commission scheduled for October 9.

Brad Dacus, founder and president of PJI, expressed disbelief at the situation. “For more than a dozen years, this church had quietly and effectively served the needy. But when the pastor began speaking out on local issues, city officials retaliated in ways that are hurting those least able to advocate for themselves.”

A National Issue: Churches Under Fire

City Church 242’s struggle is far from an isolated case. Across the country, churches providing outreach to the poor and homeless are facing similar battles with local authorities. In Colorado, The Rock, a church in Castle Rock, is fighting its city to maintain its homeless ministry. Seventh-Day Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, Florida, and churches in Ohio and North Carolina have also been penalized for attempting to serve their communities’ most vulnerable.

City officials often cite zoning violations, resident complaints, and land-use regulations as reasons for shutting down these outreach programs. However, Jeremy Dys, Senior Counsel for First Liberty, argues that federal law, including the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, protects religious institutions and their ministries.

“Rather than punishing these pastors, cities should be encouraging them and praising them for their good efforts,” said Dys.

As the October 9 hearing looms, all eyes are on Fairfield as City Church 242 fights to regain its right to serve. With winter approaching, the urgency of their mission becomes ever more pressing, leaving many to wonder: Will compassion triumph over politics?