BELFAST — At their July 1 meeting, Belfast City Councilors drew a line between church and state, voting down a request from a local faith-based organization for use of one of Belfast’s public parks.
An organization named Belfast Bible Church first made the request in June. The organization would like to introduce itself to the Belfast community and applied for the use of Belfast’s Steamboat Landing Park to hold a live outdoor event with Christian music, refreshments and community outreach. A certificate of insurance accompanied the organization’s request.
During the June 17 council meeting, several councilors questioned the request, suggesting it might cross the line between church and state.
They made several suggestions to Belfast Bible Church, including eliminating church services during the event, and asked the group to re-submit its application. The most recent application asked for use of Steamboat Landing Park for events in July and September, each from noon until 2 p.m.
Belfast Parks & Recreation Director Pam Salokangas told the council the new request had a “slightly different tone” and that it was more of a “community event based on music.”
Councilor Paul Dean began discussion on the request by reiterating a comment made during the group’s initial request on June 17.
“I appreciate the separation of church and state.”
The struggle between church and state in America has been a defining tension since the nation’s founding, rooted in the First Amendment’s dual mandate: The government must neither establish a religion nor prohibit its free exercise.
This balance has sparked centuries of debate over issues like prayer in public schools, religious symbols on government property, and the role of faith-based organizations in public life. While the Founders sought to protect individual liberty by separating church from state, the boundaries remain contested. Court rulings, such as Engel v. Vitale (1962) and Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971), have aimed to clarify the limits, but evolving social norms and political movements continually challenge where the line should be drawn. At its core, the struggle reflects America’s ongoing effort to honor both religious freedom and secular governance in a diverse and pluralistic society.
Councilor Brenda Bonneville followed Dean’s comments with her own misgivings on the use of a public space for religious purposes, saying the city should be “very careful” of opening up the idea to other groups.
One of the council suggestions following the group’s first request was the elimination of church services during the event.
“I was completely opposed to the idea that they would have services in the park,” said Councilor Neal Harkness. “We told them that, they adjusted their proposal.”
Harkness told fellow councilors they shouldn’t favor one religious group over another, but also should not disallow access because they are a faith-based group.
“[Belfast Bible Church] has already acceded to our request to not hold services,” Harkness said as he made a motion to approve the request.
Mayor Eric Sanders told council members he was originally uncomfortable with the inclusion of a service in the initial request, but saw no issue with the updated proposal.
“There’s room for everybody under my tent,” he said.
Dean noted the group had removed some of the planned activities listed in the first request, but questioned how the remaining activities — under tents, interacting with the public — would be received. He also noted that the group has no established location within the city.
As an example, Dean cited the council’s approval to close a city street beside the First Church in Belfast UCC to allow the church to hold a strawberry festival. He noted that the First Church greeted people at a location beside their church.
“[Does Belfast Bible Church] have a place where they’re going to be meeting?” Dean asked fellow councilors. “They want to meet and greet people, but they’re not established. The First Church isn’t having the [festival] on the Harborwalk, they’re having it beside their church. There are just some things here that I can’t follow through and allow [Belfast Bible Church] down there.”
Councilor Chris Bitely said the request “didn’t cross the line for me” but cautioned the Belfast Bible Church that the city was concerned and that similar future requests, by them or other faith-based groups, would be judged by how this event was received.
“My sentiment is, we’re not looking for heavy evangelizing for people who just want to walk their dogs.”
Bitely said he was comfortable with approving the request based on the guidelines set by the council following the group’s initial request.
Harkness said Dean’s willingness to accept the closing of a street near the First Church, and his unwillingness to approve the Belfast Bible Church’s request, as a violation of church and state.
“You have expressed a favoritism of one over the other based on your own familiarity with them. If you don’t allow this, I don’t think you should allow another church to close another street.”
Harkness said the park has been used for a variety of events that sometimes make others uncomfortable, noting a recent political rally that filled the park had that effect. He added, to him, the request was reasonable given the council’s previous directions to the group.
“I’m not a religious guy,” Harkness said. “I have to put that aside and respect those who are. To me the bottom line is, we told them what we didn’t like about their proposal, and they changed it. I think it would be, no pun intended, bad faith on our part to turn them down.”
Dean told Harkness his objection was based more on the group’s lack of presence in Belfast.
“If they had established themselves in the community, I’d probably look at it differently. To set up religious music along the Harborwalk is not something I can support.”
Bonneville said the changes suggested following the group’s initial request should not be indicative of approval this time around, discourse she felt is essential.
“This has been a healthy discussion.”
The council then voted to disapprove the request, with Harkness and Bitely voting to approve, and Dean, Bonneville and Councilor Mary Mortier voting against the request.
At present, there is no listing for a group named Belfast Bible Church, either formally or on social media.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.
