Michigan Township Sued After Denying Youth for Christ Permit, Accused of Religious Discrimination

A fight over whether a Christian youth ministry can open in downtown Leland, Michigan, has spilled into federal court, with a lawsuit accusing township officials of religious discrimination after they denied a special use permit for a Youth for Christ clubhouse.

The dispute centers on a privately owned building in Leland’s business district overlooking the community’s iconic Fishtown harbor. Apollos Properties sought permission to allow the local Youth for Christ ministry, known as Leland LightHouse, to use part of the property for prayer, Bible study, fellowship and mentoring.

Jim VanSteenhouse, an owner of Apollos Properties and one of those challenging the township’s decision, says the fight is about more than zoning.

“This case is much more than a zoning dispute,” VanSteenhouse said in a statement. “Leland Township’s denial of the constitutional rights and First Amendment freedoms guaranteed by our National and State Constitutions cannot stand.”

“We don’t want a lawsuit,” he added. “All we desire is the opportunity for Leelanau County youth to meet for prayer, Bible study, Christian fellowship and mentoring on private property.”

Apollos Properties, James and Elizabeth VanSteenhouse, and Youth for Christ missionaries Micah and Kya Cramer filed the federal lawsuit in August. The complaint names Leland Township and numerous local officials and accuses them of violating constitutional and civil rights protections.

Youth for Christ operates more than 100 chapters across the United States, including several in Michigan. The local ministry had previously met with students through area schools before seeking a permanent location in Leland.

The building at the center of the case sits at 110 North Lake Street in the town’s commercial district. According to the lawsuit, the property owners were initially told the Youth for Christ group could qualify as a club under the township’s zoning rules.

An attorney advising the township also warned the Planning Commission that denying the permit because students intended to gather for prayer and Bible study could raise constitutional concerns.

Commissioners later sought a second legal opinion as questions continued over whether Youth for Christ met the zoning code’s definition of a club.

The Planning Commission ultimately voted 4-1 in April to deny the special use permit, finding that the proposed ministry did not qualify as the type of club allowed in the commercial district.

The lawsuit now argues that religion was the reason the group was treated differently.

In its complaint, the property owners and ministry leaders accuse Leland Township of creating what they call a “religious gerrymander,” claiming the zoning rules allow other groups to gather in the business district while restricting gatherings centered on prayer, Bible study and Christian worship.

The lawsuit raises claims under the U.S. Constitution, the Michigan Constitution and federal civil rights laws. It alleges violations involving religious exercise, free speech, assembly and equal protection.

Leland Township has pushed back against accusations that religion drove the permit decision.

Planning Commission Chair Lee Cory has said commissioners focused on whether the proposed Youth for Christ operation met the zoning definition of a club permitted in the commercial district. She has also said the commission did not debate whether Youth for Christ was a church or whether its members had a right to practice their religion.

The proposed clubhouse has divided residents in the small northern Michigan community, with both supporters and opponents turning out at public meetings.

Resident Anna Hogan told the Planning Commission that she respected the right of individuals to gather and worship but questioned whether a ministry belonged in one of Leland’s most visible commercial locations.

“This central, high-visibility storefront is zoned and utilized to support tourism and commerce,” Hogan said. “The retail and visitor experience is the engine of our economy.”

She then asked whether “a religious youth assembly, which is focused on worship and ministry,” truly fit the township’s definition of a club.

Supporters of the ministry argue that other organizations are allowed to gather in the same district and that the township cannot draw the line based on what Youth for Christ members intend to do once they are inside the building.

The federal lawsuit asks the court to block enforcement of the permit denial and find that the township violated constitutional protections when it prevented the proposed ministry from operating at the property.

The zoning dispute is also continuing locally. Apollos Properties has appealed the Planning Commission’s April decision, and Leland Township’s Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to hold a public hearing on Sept. 23.

The federal case and zoning appeal will now move forward as the two sides continue to dispute whether Leland Township was enforcing ordinary land-use rules or treating the proposed Youth for Christ clubhouse differently because of its religious purpose.