A lawsuit against the city of Monroe, North Carolina, brought by a major religious-rights group has been dropped after officials modified their zoning regulations to allow churches.
The Alliance Defending Freedom said Friday it voluntarily dismissed its case against Monroe after the zoning changes were adopted.
The case had been brought on behalf of At The Cross Fellowship Baptist Church after the city adopted regulations that barred the congregation from holding services in property it had rented and newly renovated.
That was even though another church had occupied space in the same building, and libraries, museums and other organizations were allowed to use the same space.
The code, which had prohibited churches in three of four subdistricts within the city's new Concord Avenue Overlay District, was modified to allow worship events.
"The government can't discriminate against churches simply because they are religious. The city has done the right thing in correcting the flaws in its zoning code so that all religious congregations will benefit," said ADF Senior Counsel Erik Stanley.
He said the city had told At the Cross "it was unwelcome – in the same part of the community where libraries, art galleries, and museums were allowed."
"That was unconstitutional and a violation of federal law, but the new changes fix that," he said. "The city of Monroe should be commended for its actions, which serve as a model for local governments across the country of how to properly treat churches in accordance with federal law."
The disagreement erupted into a court case, WND reported in June.
The church's leaders agreed to move into the facility after the property owner informed them that another church had occupied space in the same building in the recent past, ADF said.
But the city said it would not allow that any longer.
The complaint said the city was treating the church on "less than equal terms" with other organizations.