TOMS RIVER – One current and one former deacon of the Christ Episcopal Church spoke out against the town’s attempt to seize the property either by purchase or eminent domain during a recent Township Council meeting.
Mayor Daniel Rodrick has said his plan for this property includes recreation. The church land would be a playground and other amenities. Other waterfront lots that the town has its eye on would be a municipal marina.
The town would negotiate in good faith to purchase the property, he has said.
Critics of the administration and council majority have said that the reason for the purchase was to block the church’s attempt to open a 17-bed homeless shelter there. The land use board that oversees that kind of plan declined it recently.
The Township Council introduced an ordinance that would allow the town to acquire – through purchase or eminent domain – the church property as well as a few small waterfront properties. The second reading of that ordinance, after which it would become law, has not formally been set but it is believed to be in July. At the second reading, the public is allowed a time to comment, but they did so at the latest meeting as well.
Deacon Ted Foley served Christ Church for 12 years until his retirement in 2024.
“No one has reached out to make contact,” he said. “We never received a notice about the first reading and we haven’t received it yet.”
Township Attorney Peter Pascarella responded that the notice was published in a newspaper.
There was a debate about whether township officials communicated to church leadership. Pascarella said he called the day after the first reading. Rodrick said he reached out over social media.
After the meeting, the mayor noted that the township has continued to reach out to the church, to no avail.
At one point, the audio of the interaction was muted for people watching the meeting from home.
Council President Justin Lamb cut off the deacon’s comments at the three minute mark, but the deacon refused to sit down.
Most governing bodies have some kind of time limit for each member of the public when they speak. Currently, it’s 3 minutes in Toms River. However, critics of the current administration have said that the time limit is enforced more sternly when the administration disagrees with the person speaking.
Deacon Foley refused to stop speaking, causing Lamb to call a recess. Rather than giving the deacon a few more minutes to speak, this ended up costing approximately 15 minutes.
Lamb ordered police in the room to remove the deacon, but police refused. During the break, Lamb could be seen exchanging heated words with the officer.
After the break, Deacon Carolyn Bradley also spoke. She said that while Christ Episcopal has been active for 160 years, the property has also housed the Ocean Christian Community Church for 40 years.
There is a memorial garden on site where people have laid their loved ones’ ashes to rest. She said “325 souls are buried. It’s a place of peace and solace.”
She also described how the church serves the community. There are three Narcotics Anonymous meetings a day, amounting to more than 1,000 a year. Alcoholics Anonymous meets seven times a week.
They feed 20-30 families with their food distribution, and there is also a clothing ministry.
“We host homeless families one week at a time,” she said.
Carlos Almanizar, who lives in an apartment complex downtown, said “I am afraid to mess with God because bad things happen.”
David Massey of Jackson came to support fellow Episcopalians. “If it starts here, where is it going to stop?”
He said he could see eminent domain being used to build a bridge or something like that. “Would the recreation you are proposing serve as many people as the church?”
A homeless man spoke to the council, noting that there was $11 million being spent on fixing streets but they are not doing anything for the people living on the streets.
“They actually saved my life,” he said of the church. “I almost committed suicide five years ago because I was sick with addiction. Right now I am five years clean.”
A homeless woman said that the homeless don’t want to be there any more than the town wants them there. Churches and places like the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen are resources that they need.
“Resources are what can help us get better. We have problems. We’re dealing with a broken system. Get us the help we need and we won’t have these problems,” she said.
A Batchelor Street resident, Patricia Hammer, said that there was property acquired by the town recently near the intersection of Batchelor and Clifton Avenue. This was supposed to be for a park but nothing has been done with it.
Resident Michael Cohen said that if the township decides to take the church by eminent domain, the opposition will create another petition against it. “You will have to figure out how to slither out of that one just like you did the other two.”
This is in reference to petitions that residents have done to return high level police positions that were cut, and to re-open the animal shelter that was shut down.
The council is all Republican, but two camps oppose each other on controversial matters. The majority – Council President Justin Lamb, and council members Craig Coleman, Lynn O’Toole, and William Byrne – voted to introduce the ordinance to buy or otherwise take possession of the church and the waterfront properties. Councilmen David Ciccozzi, James Quinlisk, and Thomas Nivison voted against it.
Leadership of the church have said that the building and the land are not for sale. They have been using it for a number of support programs, including a food pantry.
The next two council meetings are currently scheduled for June 30 and July 30, both at 4 p.m. in town hall.
