Religious Radicalization
As a preface to this issue, it is important to note that the OGCMA “agrees that it is not a church within the conference of Methodist churches nor under the control of a Bishop of the United Methodist Church. Deposition testimony also shows that there is no agreement between the United Methodist Church and [the OGCMA], and [the OGCMA] is not considered as a congregation of the United Methodist Church.” See, the 2021 Tax Court Decision here. In fact, the OGCMA is not even associated with St. Paul’s Methodist Church, the only actual church in Ocean Grove, nor is it associated with any other church. See Transcript of Deposition of Bishop Shol, cited here.
Given that the OGCMA has no affiliation with a church, their recent and past radical religious actions are particularly noteworthy. Below is a list of the actions taken by the OGCMA, each of which demonstrates their disregard for the secular majority of Ocean Grove.
OGCMA Actions in recent years include:
Religious banners were placed on street lights on Broadway, a Township regulated main street (removed because of conflict with 1st Amendment).
A religious banner was placed between south entrance columns across a Township regulated street (removed because of conflict with the 1st Amendment).
A loudspeaker system was installed in-ground around Great Auditorium Square that blares religious events (a violation of the Township noise ordinance).
With the 2021 and 2022 beach seasons, prominent cross symbols were incorporated into the design of annual entrance badges which beachgoers are required to wear on their person (or have with them) to access Neptune Township’s local town beach. The 2022 badge is the first time the OGCMA has advertised its full name, “Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association.” For five of the last ten years, beach badges have included a cross symbol.
This means that Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, secularists, and other non-Christians must literally wear a religious symbol of something in which they do not believe. For decades, none of the beach badges displayed this Christian symbol.The OGCMA requires that the MC of a secular summer classical music series in the Great Auditorium start each program with a religious quote.
The OGCMA wanted a boardwalk secular yoga instructor to recite a Christian prayer before each of his classes. The instructor refused and the OGCMA backed down – for now.
All of these examples demonstrate a disregard for secular and non-religious residents who must coexist with the OGCMA, a disregard for the separation of church and state, and a disregard for the effect these symbols have on promoting a welcoming place for all religious and secular believers.
In prior years, the OGCMA ramped up its efforts to further imprint Ocean Grove with symbols of its religious organization:
A large lighted cross was placed on the front of the Great Auditorium. Before that, it was smaller and unlighted.
A wood cross was placed on the beach dune in front of the Boardwalk Pavilion at the end of Ocean Pathway. This appeared after the Court ruled that the OGCMA violated anti-discrimination law when it did not allow a lesbian couple to wed in the boardwalk pavilion, a public accommodation.
A lighted message board on their monument sign at the south entrance to Ocean Grove. (The OGCMA is specifically prevented in Zoning Ordinance from using this type of sign anywhere in Ocean Grove. This is a result of the 1981 Agreement with the Township.)
Beach information boards include a “Scripture of the Day” as everyone, including non-Christians, enters the beach.
