The city council has lifted from a church founded by freed slaves the threat it had created earlier about the future of the facility.
According to First Liberty Institute, the council in Addison, Texas, now has approved a zone application for White Rock Chapel, which had been a historic site since its designation by the Texas Historical Commission in 2000.
“This small, African American church is a reminder to everyone in Addison that unity, diversity, and religious freedom are core values that strengthen all communities,” James Grossman, of McDermott Will and Emery LLP, said. “We are thrilled that the chapel will be free to continue to serve its community.”
The chapel, founded by formerly enslaved men and women – purchased land and built the very first church out of rough-hewn logs near White Rock Creek following emancipation. In 1918, after enduring years of devastating flash floods, the congregation moved to higher ground at the current location,” the legal team explained.
“In August 2018, the current owners of White Rock Chapel purchased the property and brought it out of receivership. By doing so, they saved this historic church from demolition and preserved its rich history and legacy. They then sought building permits to restore the property. The city council denied the permits even after they were advanced by the city’s planning and zoning commission. Monday night’s vote provides the permit necessary for the church to continue to exist in Addison.”
“We are pleased that the Addison City Council recognizes the rights of this historic African American church to remain at this location has it has for more than 100 years and continue to serve the needs of people in the surrounding areas,” said Jeremy Dys, of First Liberty.
WND had reported weeks ago the church has endured flash floods, the destruction of a building in a storm, a fire, and more.
The opposition to the church apparently came from its neighbors.
A report from First Liberty Institute at the time said they objected to “the church’s right to exist.”
The legal team then advised the city to “ignore the heckling of a handful of neighbors and allow this small, African American church to exemplify the core values of unity, diversity, and religious freedom that strengthen all communities.”
The original of the church was on the banks of White Rock Creek after emancipation. It was moved to higher ground after years of flash floods.
The city had been advised that its refusal to grant the church its needed permits likely the chapel’s rights under the First Amendment, RLIUPA and others laws.
IMPORTANT NOTE TO WND READERS: Shortly after Hamas terrorists fired over 5,000 rockets from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7 and then proceeded to attack the Jewish state by land, sea and air – torturing, burning, beheading and murdering well over a thousand people, including women, children and infants, and wounding and abducting hundreds more – world reaction was, in its own way, almost equally shocking.
For after the biggest one-day mass slaughter of Jews since the Nazi Holocaust, what followed was an outpouring of celebratory demonstrations, unbridled Jew-hatred, deliriously gleeful support for Hamas and bitter condemnation of the nation of Israel. Not just in the Arab-Muslim world, but throughout the Western world as well, including all across America.
Why? What is behind the explosion of anti-Israel, anti-Jewish, pro-terror sentiment in the United States, where Israel has long been one of America’s closest friends and allies? Why are hordes of young “woke” LGBT demonstrators marching in support of Hamas – when Hamas wouldn’t think twice about binding and blindfolding them and throwing them off the roof of a tall building – as they routinely do in the Muslim world?
It turns out there’s one area of agreement that is so powerful, deep-seated and all-consuming that the vast differences between the deranged left and the murderous jihadists melt away into Kumbaya harmony.
All of this and much more is completely exposed in November’s issue of WND’s critically acclaimed monthly Whistleblower magazine, titled ISRAEL VS. GLOBAL JIHAD: How Jew-hatred, radical Islam and Leftism are pushing us toward World War III. Beyond a deeply insightful dive into why leftists are surging toward radical Islam – which hates and dreams of raping and butchering them – this Whistleblower issue includes fantastic articles by everyone from top Israeli analyst (and former Israel Defense Forces officer) Caroline Glick to Harvest Christian Fellowship’s Pastor Greg Laurie on the current war in Israel and biblical prophecies regarding the End Times … which he says are now upon us.
WHISTLEBLOWER is available in both the popular print edition and a state-of-the-art digital version, either single issues or discounted annual subscriptions.
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