Ocean City Threatens Church With 5,000 Daily Fines for Sheltering the Homeless

Ocean City Threatens $5,000 Daily Fines Against Episcopal Church for Sheltering Homeless on Its Own Property

St. Paul's By the Sea Episcopal Church in Ocean City, Maryland has found itself in a heated standoff with city officials after opening its property to homeless residents living in tents.

Since last fall, the church has provided shelter for roughly a dozen people, with eight tents set up in its small side courtyard and three more under an alcove near the front entrance. The encampment came about after Worcester County made it illegal to sleep on public property last year, leaving many with nowhere to turn.

City officials informed the church that the outdoor tents violated local zoning ordinances and threatened fines of up to $5,000 per day if the structures were not removed. City Manager Terence McGean stated:

While the tents currently on the property do not comply with existing zoning ordinances, Ocean City is committed to balancing compassion with compliance.

Pastor Jill Williams said the church chose to comply rather than put vulnerable people in the crossfire of a legal battle.

We chose to do this rather than putting our clients at the forefront of a battle between us and the city.

The church secured an extension until April 1 and plans to move all residents into its parish hall, funding the transition from its own financial reserves. When the church asked the city for alternative placement or financial help, Williams said they were offered nothing concrete.

The only guidance we were given was that we could apply for possible grant funding during next year's funding cycle.

Williams described the potential grant as amounting to "a few hundred dollars to a thousand maybe," far short of what is needed to address the crisis.

Maryland Episcopal Church Faces Massive Fines for Housing Homeless in Tents on Church Grounds

The situation highlights a growing tension across the United States between local governments enforcing zoning codes and churches stepping in to fill gaps in social services. Ocean City officials maintain they never prohibited the church from sheltering people indoors, only the outdoor tent structures themselves.

The Crusader's Opinion

A church opens its doors to the homeless and the government's response is to threaten $5,000 a day in fines. Let that sink in. The county made it illegal to sleep outside, then the city punishes the one institution actually doing something about it. No funding. No alternatives. Just fines. This is what happens when bureaucracy replaces compassion. The Church has been caring for the poor and forgotten since the days of the apostles, and no zoning code should ever stand between a Christian and their God given duty to shelter the vulnerable. Ocean City should be thanking St. Paul's, not threatening it.

Take Action

• Contact Ocean City's government to voice your support for St. Paul's church: oceancitymd.gov or call (410) 289-8221
• Donate directly to St. Paul's By the Sea Episcopal Church to support their shelter mission: stpaulsbythesea.org
• Support homeless ministry efforts through www.TheShepherdsShield.org
• Share this story on social media to raise awareness about churches being penalized for serving the homeless
• Contact your local representatives and advocate for religious freedom protections that allow churches to serve their communities without government interference