Pastor Ronnie Holmes and members of the Church of the Open Door wanted to hand out small, glossy cards and engage in conversation with people attending last October's Out on the Brazos festival hosted by the Waco Pride Network at Brazos Park East in Waco, Texas.
Attorney Nate Kellum of First Liberty Institute says the pastor and church members were told they had to move to a restricted zone in the park that separated them and deprived them of their intended audience. They were escorted by police officers to a designated 10-foot x 20-foot “free speech zone” that was away from the main event by 50 yards.
Waco city officials have all but assured Pastor Holmes when he tried to find a resolution that he cannot speak about his religious message per their speech zone policy.
"We sent a letter to city officials of Waco: the mayor, city attorney, and the assistant city manager. What we're seeking here is really the fundamental right of Pastor Ronnie Holmes and other members of the Church of the Open Door to be able to go to a public park and share their faith with others," says Kellum. "It's really a fundamental right that we all have that we can go to public spaces and communicate our ideas, share our views, and evangelize as Ronnie and other folks at the church wish to do.”
First Liberty wants an answer in the next two weeks.
When AFN reached out to Waco for comment, City Attorney Kristen Hamilton-Karam emailed AFN the following statement:
"The City has received the referenced letter, and our legal team is reviewing and researching the concerns raised."
Kellum says people need to be vigilant about their constitutional rights, adding that if this can happen in Waco, it can happen anywhere.
"The position that Waco has taken is 'If the permittee of this event, which is a Waco Pride event, if they do not want you speaking, if they do not like your message, if they do not appreciate your views, then you have to go elsewhere'," says Kellum. "That's a fundamental violation of (the church group's) constitutional rights."
Kellum adds that the pastor and church members did not go to the event to protest or create any kind of disturbance at the festival, nor did they wish to shout, use amplification, or hold signs.
First Liberty hopes to get a resolution in favor of the pastor and church.
"But if we cannot obtain any type of resolution, then we'll definitely have to consider litigation," says Kellum.
