Tyler Whetstone

tyler.whetstone@knoxnews.com

Knoxville City Council is expected to decide Tuesday night whether to change a long-standing city ordinance that prohibits businesses from obtaining a beer permit within 300 feet of churches.

The council, in a 6-3 vote in October, approved an amendment to the ordinance that would remove the distance barrier only as it relates to churches, but pushed back its second vote two weeks ago to give council members time to learn more about the issue.

The 300-foot requirement in the ordinance also applies to schools, hospitals and funeral homes. That portion of the ordinance would remain intact.

Currently, businesses can get around the city regulation by spending approximately $5,000 to purchase a liquor license from the state, which has no distance requirements. A beer permit from the city costs $250 plus $50 per person for training classes.

Council members Duane Grieve, Brenda Palmer, Marshall Stair, Finbarr Saunders, George Wallace, Mark Campen voted in favor of amending the ordinance in October. Councilmen Nick Pavlis, Nick Della Volpe and Dan Brown were the dissenters.

Earlier this year the council voted on amending the entire ordinance and removing the 300-foot barrier from hospitals, churches, funeral homes and schools, but it failed.

Then in October, two churches, First Lutheran Church and School and St. George Greek Orthodox Church, were granted special event permits to serve alcohol on church grounds. The churches' request renewed the debate on the council.

Pastors from churches on both side of the issue have spoken at council meetings and two talked to the News Sentinel about their views.

Change it

The lobby of the OneLife Church in Powell is an old Food City deli and the church’s elementary students meet in an old video store.

What some churches call a sanctuary is an auditorium that can sit 500 people – on the way in there is an ear plug dispenser, just in case the music is too loud.

OneLife Church Pastor Rodney Arnold has pushed for the city to remove the beer ordinance as it relates to churches because the ordinance harms churches, he said.

When the church was formed, not even 10 years ago, its members quickly outgrew the Powell High School auditorium, deciding they needed more space.

“Land just wasn’t available,” Arnold said. “To find 6 or 7 acres of land that you could build on that was affordable was very difficult, but there were plenty of lease spaces … the problem we were running into were landlords being apprehensive about leasing to a church because of the beer permit laws.”

Arnold said landlords were nervous because they want to attract businesses. The church found a home at the Food City and now has two locations. The second one is about to move into the former Just For Feet building near Knoxville Center Mall.

Arnold said the El Rey Mexican Restaurant just a few doors down from OneLife Church has been next to the church since they moved in and has never presented problems.

Knoxville beer ordinance vote postponed

He said it’s a “new day” for churches. He said there are churches meeting in hair salons, movie theaters and bars.

“Church is not the place, church is the people,” he said. “So this generation that, I believe, longs and craves for authenticity and transparency and real relationships are not nearly as concerned about a pew and a steeple as they are a general relationship. That means what people may consider nontraditional spaces are really ideal for people to meet.”

Arnold said the church has to do things differently in order to reach people who aren’t being reached. Shopping centers are perfect for this, he said: They’re inexpensive and usually centrally located.

“The building is neutral, it’s just a tool,” he said. “So the space you choose can totally remove a barrier for some who might be seeking a faith journey, but apprehensive to start that journey … people take notice to that and are a little more willing to come check you out and they’ll start that relationship.”

Arnold said there are churches like Providence Church, a church where he used to be a staff member, that don’t allow staff to drink but are for the ordinance change.

“I don’t think Jesus would be in favor of an ordinance that keeps sinners 300 feet away … I don’t think Jesus would say, ‘Yeah, I love the sinner and hate the sins so I’m going to make sure there’s a barrier between us,’ ” Arnold said. “In fact, I think we see him do the opposite and it’s why the religious people didn’t like him and, ultimately, it’s why they killed him.”

Leave it alone

Doug Stauffer is the pastor of Antioch Baptist Church on North Broadway, a “conservative King James Bible believing Independent Baptist church,” according to the church’s Facebook page.

Outside, the church on the hill is nothing more than a concrete block structure with a metal roof and a basketball court in the parking lot. If it weren’t for the Antioch Baptist Church sign on the side, it might pass for a business. Inside, however, the church is spacious and striking thanks to a recently completed $600,000 renovation project.

Stauffer wore an American flag tie and sat on a middle pew. His voice carried easily inside the empty sanctuary.

Stauffer said he worked at an inner city rescue mission in Montgomery, Ala., for 15 years. He’s seen the effect of drugs and alcohol and said he used to drink heavily before giving his life to Jesus Christ after college.

The problem with removing the ordinance, according to Stauffer, is two-fold: safety and old vs. new.

Stauffer wants to protect his congregation, especially the youngest members. He said he isn’t on a crusade, he just wants the church to be a safe place.

The church has businesses on both sides. Businesses move and others move in and Stauffer can’t stop a restaurant or bar from moving next door and selling alcohol.

“It’s not about keeping them out. It’s not whether they’re accepted; they are accepted,” Stauffer said. “We just don’t want them walking across our basketball court inebriated with our kids. You know, we don’t want that happening.

“This is called a sanctuary … it’s a safe place. Let’s leave it intact,” he said.

Stauffer also said there’s no reason to change an ordinance that’s been intact since 1952. Doing so would cater to new churches, he said.

“What we’re saying is we’re an existing church, established for several decades, and we’re not going anywhere,” he said. “So if you ruin our neighborhood, meaning, if you go and lower the standards and allow people on either side (of us) to get an easily obtainable beer permit, you may change our whole existence here.

“Rodney (Arnold), bless his heart, he means well, but quite frankly you don’t cater to the few who are new and then look at the ones who have been here and put in their dues and say, ‘Hey, you don’t matter anymore because we have another need and that other need trumps your need.’ No. We’re going to show that that’s not the case,” Stauffer said.

Stauffer said he would accept the council’s decision one way or the other, but said council members have “woken up a sleeping giant,” referencing churches who don’t want this ordinance changed.

Stauffer has grouped churches via email and social media and has sent mailers telling congregations who to contact and why.

“In our understanding and line of belief we do what we can and leave the rest up to God,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean we sit back and say there’s nothing we can do.”

City council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday inside the main assembly room of the City County Building.