CHURCH & STATE

Christian Group Under Fire for Blocking Jersey Shore Beach on Sundays

The group says that the policy has been in place for 154 years, and this is the first time they’ve ever fielded complaints.

A Christian group is being targeted by New Jersey officials and residents for blocking Jersey Shore access for Ocean Grove beachgoers on Sunday mornings. Methodist group Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association reportedly has an agreement with the Monmouth County township that allows them to do restrict beach access on Sundays. But government officials say this clearly violates the separation of church and state, and have warned the group to stop restricting beach access. “The purpose of this warning is to advise you of the… potential violation and to provide you with an opportunity to voluntarily take corrective actions,” read a letter from Robert H. Clark of the state Bureau of Coastal and Land Use Compliance and Enforcement. Meanwhile, the group says that the policy has been in place for 154 years, and this is the first time they’ve ever fielded complaints. Michael Badger, the group’s president, said that the closure “enhances religious and secular quality of live experiences in Ocean Grove which society recognizes as valuable.”