I received word of this through the church’s lawyers yesterday, but it looks like the ol’ AJC beat me to it…

A federal judge has ordered Avondale Estates to let a church resume its activities as it pursues a discrimination case against the small DeKalb County city.

Judge Charles A. Pannell Jr. on Thursday ordered the city allow Christ Liberty Family Center to re-open for worship and other activities. The church plans a service at 11:30 a.m. Sunday at its leased property, 137 Maple St.

Remember this story?

How Avondale shut down the Christ Liberty Family Life Center because the church was operating without a permit and didn’t meet the city’s requirement that all houses of worship be located on a minimum of three acres and have 100 feet of frontage for parking?

Well, now the church is filing suit in federal court against the city over its three acre minimum, which applies exclusively to places of worship.  Here’s their press release…

AVONDALE ESTATES – Christ Liberty Family Life Center filed suit today in federal court against the City of Avondale Estates to reclaim its liberty of religion under the U.S. Constitution. In late April, Avondale Estates shut the Church down because the City requires that religious facilities must be located on at least 3 acres of land. Avondale Estates puts this onerous requirement only on religious facilities and not on other places of public assembly.

For almost three months, the Church has been forced to assemble in various temporary meeting places for worship, each ill-suited to conducting church services. Dr. Emma Byrd, spokeswoman for the Church, has witnessed the burden first hand. “It’s been devastating for us. We haven’t been able to get a stable location,” said Dr. Byrd. “The congregation has been bleeding members and money.”

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