For more than four years, three churches in Northglenn, Colorado, met regularly in a public park to worship, pray, fellowship, and minister to homeless people.
Then the city decided that the churches had become a problem.
Northglenn passed a resolution in June 2025 that barred groups of five or more from using park facilities and outdoor spaces on a recurring basis. According to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), secular groups were still allowed to gather.
Church members were not. The city even issued criminal citations against some of them.
ACLJ, which represents four church members, said the city claimed the restriction was necessary to reduce crowding and protect “typical park use.”
The legal organization filed a federal lawsuit last November, and the city backed down in January. ACLJ announced this week that the parties reached a settlement. An excerpt:
Although the settlement agreement has been signed, dismissal of the lawsuit remains contingent upon the city council’s final approval of the proposed ordinance. Northglenn’s legislative process requires several steps before an ordinance becomes law.
Christians don’t lose their First Amendment rights when they enter a public park. Government officials cannot allow secular groups to gather while singling out churches for different treatment simply because their activities include prayer, worship, and Christian ministry.
ACLJ will be watching. And so will we.
Photo credit: By City of Northglenn – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, link
