The Council of Churches of the City of New York, established in 1895 and representing over one million Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox and Evangelical Christians in the City of New York, has followed the painful trials of the congregations which are being evicted this Sunday from New York City Public Schools as a result of what appears to be misguided policies of this City’s Department of Education. New York City is unique in the nation in taking the position that churches, synagogues and mosques may not rent available space in the schools after hours if their purpose is worship.

Currently, any nonprofit community organization may rent school space for their own organizational purposes so long as meetings and events are open to the public. No other class of organization is singled out so as to prohibit it from using the rental to conduct its core charitable purpose as are religious congregations.

This policy discriminates not only as to a restriction on speech, but on equal protection grounds. Citizens organizing for virtually any community purpose are given ready access to rent public school space for their purposes, except for citizens organized for religious purposes.

This unfair treatment toward religious organizations by the New York City Public Schools must be stopped.

Sincerely yours,

The Reverend Dr. Jimmy Seong G. Lim

Executive Director

The Council of Churches of the City of New York

475 Riverside Drive, Suite 727, New York, NY 10115

Office: 212-870-1020, Fax: 212-870-1025

Visit Our Website: www.cccny.net

For reference this is the CCCNY Board of Directors (2011) – Alphabetical Order of First Name
  • The Reverend Dr. A. R. Bernard, Sr.
    President of the Council of Churches of the City of New York
  • The Reverend Dr. Adolfo Carrion, Sr.
    Vice President of the Council of Churches of the City of New York
  • The Reverend Dr. Calvin Marshall, III
    African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church NY Conference
  • Mr. Charles Henze
    Brooklyn Council of Churches
  • The Reverend Dr. Charles Straut, Jr.
    Ministry Consultant
  • Bishop David Benke
    Atlantic District Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod
  • The Reverend David Bennett
    Executive Board of the Eastern District, Moravian Church
  • Canon Diane Porter
    Episcopal Diocese of Long Island
  • Mr. Edward Middendorf
    Queens Federation of Churches
  • The Reverend Freeman Palmer
    United Church of Christ/Metro Suffolk
  • The Reverend James Stallings
    American Baptist Church, Metro New York
  • The Reverend James L. Seawood
    Staten Island Council of Churches
  • Bishop Jeremiah Park
    The United Methodist NY conference
  • The Reverend Jon Norton
    Treasurer of the Council of Churches of the City of New York
  • The Reverend Dr. John Hiemstra
    Executive Director Emeritus of the Council of Churches of the City of New York
  • The Reverend Dr. Joseph Young Choon Chang
    Vice president of the Council of Churches of the City of New York

 

 
  • The Reverend Dr. Jimmy Seong G. Lim
    Executive Director of the Council of Churches of the City of New York
  • His Eminence Archbishop Khajaag Baramian
    Diocese of the Armenian Church
  • His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios
    Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, N. A.
  • Bishop Lawrence C. Provenzano
    Episcopal Diocese of Long Island
  • Father Mardiros Chevian
    Diocese of the Armenian Church
  • Father Mark Arey
    Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, N. A.
  • Bishop Mark Sisk
    Episcopal Diocese of New York
  • Mr. Morris Gurley, Esq.
    Vice President of the Council of Churches of the City of New York
  • The Reverend Mary Anne Glover
    Christian Church Disciples of Christ
  • The Reverend N. J. “Skip” L’Heureux, Jr.
    Secretary of the Council of Churches of the City of New York
  • The Reverend Dr. Nathaniel Grady
    St. Mark’s United Methodist Church
  • Mr. Randolph Cameron
    Cameron Enterprises
  • Bishop Robert Alan Rimbo
    Metropolitan New York Synod, ELCA
  • The Reverend Dr. Susie Eliott
    Brooklyn Council of Churches
  • Elder Tony DeLa Rosa
    Presbytery of New York City
  • The Venerable William C. Parnell
    Episcopal Diocese of New York
  • The Reverend Dr. William Shillady
    The United Methodist City Society