For nearly 18 years, Church on the Beach has been holding weekly Sunday services on Los Angeles’ County’s Redondo beach. Typically they have between 100 to 120 people in attendance, with many choosing this venue because of bad experiences in traditional church settings.

However, Los Angeles County has recently imposed regulations that some allege specifically discriminate against Christians.

When the Church on the Beach approached the Department of Beaches and Harbors in October 2024 for another yearly permit for weekly services, it was told that new regulations were now in place.

First churches were now only allowed to host six services a year on the beach. Secondly, they were now subject to a $250 permit fee. Previously there was no charge for the permit. While the first two of the six services would be free, Church on the Beach would have to pay $250 for each of the remaining four services under the new regulations..

According to a new release by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), these limitations and costs only applied to religious groups. Secular groups were exempt. The ACLJ is a legal non-profit dedicated to preserving religious freedom in the US.

Because of this, the ACLJ agreed to take on this case describing it as a classic example of religious discrimination that is not allowed under the US Constitution. ACLJ sent a demand letter asking the county to end its religious discrimination.

ACLJ added that, “a county official told the pastor that churches ‘don’t need the beach’ because they can ‘meet in a building’ – a statement that demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of both religious freedom and the specific ministry of Church on the Beach.” 

Since Church on the Beach does not have a building, the move by LA County would effectively end its ministry. Due to pending litigation, LA County officials allowed the church to continue using the beach under the old rules.

ACLJ noted in its news release, that this seems to be another attempt by government officials to prevent churches moving outside the walls of a church building. They are allegedly trying to box in the church and determine where it can and cannot function.

“When government officials try to relegate faith to the four walls of a building, they fundamentally misunderstand both our Constitution and the nature of religious liberty,” ACLJ added in its release.

When you look at the early church, most of the miracles and deliverances were done outside what would be considered a typical church building. From the healing of the lame man in Lystra (Acts 14) to the deliverance of woman with a python spirit (Acts 16), these were done on the streets and witnessed by many.

The only recorded healing that seemed to take place during a church service, occurred when a young man fell asleep during one of Paul’s sermon and slipped off a third story window ledge where he was sitting (Acts 20:7-16).