Evanston religious leaders, including members of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and the Northwestern religious community, are currently working with the city government to reform an ordinance that would limit the establishment of storefront religious centers.
Twenty-five people from the city’s religious community signed a protest letter last week and sent it to Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl , the City Council, the Planning and Development Committee and the Zoning Committee, asking to postpone action on the proposed ordinance.
Some in Evanston believe that religious institutions housed in storefronts have become an issue. Ald. Ann Rainey (8th) believes they will take away business from economic outlets because religious centers are not typically active during the week. This is already a problem on the Chicago side of Howard Street, Rainey said at the Oct. 25 City Council meeting.
Rainey could not be reached for comment.
On Nov. 3, the city’s leaders agreed to postpone action on the ordinance until they meet with the religious community.
“We’ve chosen a collaborative approach,” said Rev. Mark Dennis, the moderator of the letter and a reverend of Second Baptist Church. “We aren’t arguing against the need for the ordinance, we simply want to make sure that it’s equitable, reasonable, and addresses the problem that’s intended to be addressed on Howard Street.”
Dennis said he was initially perturbed because the city government neglected to contact religious leaders before proposing the ordinance.
“We’re standing not so much in opposition of the proposed legislation as much as the manner in which it was presented and the fact that it’s singling out storefront churches, but it has serious implications for other churches in familiar zones,” Dennis said.
Rev. Karen Mosby-Avery, another reverend at Second Baptist Church, wrote the letter. She heard about the ordinance from one of her parishioners on Oct. 25, the day it was being introduced in the council meeting.
“As religious institutions we were not invited to participate in discussions about the ordinance,” Mosby-Avery said.
Rainey has arranged a walking tour of Howard Street for interested pastors to view the storefront churches. The tour will leave from the Winner’s Circle Church at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Religious leaders who signed the letter are also planning to meet with the development committee Nov. 22 to work out further details.
Dr. Philip Amerson, president of Garrett, and Rev. Leigh VanderMeer from Canterbury Northwestern, the Episcopal campus ministry, both signed the letter.
The Second Baptist Church reverends emphasized they are not here to attack the council; they are just interested in a collaborative approach to find the best solution.
“There’s a better way of taking care of a community,” Dennis said. “There’s a better way of enhancing economic development than just to single out storefront churches.”
