wfn.org | Episcopalians: California church stands up for the homeless

[dmack@episcopalchurch.org]

October 24, 2002

2002-247

Episcopalians: California church stands up for the homeless

by Rebecca Williamson

(ENS) The people of St. Alban's Episcopal Church in El Cajon, 
California, have decided to take a stand for those who are 
homeless in their community--even if the El Cajon City Council 
throws the book at them for doing it. 

The congregation has been actively involved in the political 
arena and on a practical level to bring services for those who 
are homeless to El Cajon. 

El Cajon borders San Diego and St. Alban's is part of the 
Diocese of San Diego. Although there are services for the 
homeless in San Diego, there are none within the city limits of 
El Cajon, or in several other nearby communities. There are many 
people without homes who sleep in the parks and on the streets 
of the community.

Over the summer, the rector of St. Alban's, the Rev. John 
Conrad, installed a portable toilet near the church to provide a 
bathroom facility for the homeless people to use. The city 
government objected and the toilet was removed. Conrad went 
before the City Council with a request for the city to open a 
shelter to serve the needs of the homeless. During the meeting, 
Conrad said, "The teachings of Jesus are simply unambiguous on 
this matter. You must help the poor." The City Council passed a 
non-binding resolution to open two shelters: one for families 
and one for single individuals. However, no further action was 
taken.

The people of St. Alban's then opened the bathrooms in their 
parish hall for homeless people to use during the night. This 
resulted in several homeless individuals setting up a camp on an 
adjacent vacant lot owned by the church. City government and 
several of the church's neighbors again objected to their 
presence. Conrad and his congregation agreed to work with 
several social services agencies to relocate the individuals 
after the city threatened to revoke the church's conditional use 
permit. However, Conrad pointed out, "This problem is not over. 
A long term solution is going to require the El Cajon City 
Council to establish year round facilities and a comprehensive 
program." The people of St. Alban's have committed themselves to 
being advocates for "a real solution."

A question of how

This fall, the leaders and people of several other nearby 
churches have joined the effort to find a long-term solution. In 
a special meeting of the congregation on October 9, eight other 
churches volunteered to help and three pastors spoke at the 
meeting. A parishioner of St. Alban's said, "This is not a 
question of whether we will support the homeless, it is a 
question of how."

As political efforts have not made any progress towards actual 
facilities, another group of homeless people have begun to camp 
around the church. On October 22 the City Council voted 
unanimously to wait one week before seeking a court injunction 
against the church and its campers for potential municipal code 
violations. City Attorney Morgan Foley said that violations 
might include noise violations, trespassing on private property 
and public urination and defecation. 

After the vote, Conrad reiterated his vow not to move any of the 
homeless until the city provided them with real shelter and 
services. He has installed another portable toilet at the camp 
to remove any health-code violations. "The very moment there is 
alternative shelter, I will direct [the homeless] there and 
physically move them myself if I have to," Conrad said.

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--Rebecca Williamson is editor of the Church Times, the 
newspaper of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego.