Bunk beds at the shelter for unhoused people inside St. Paul’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Ocean City, Maryland. Photo: Courtesy of Jill Williams
[Episcopal News Service] The legal battle continues to escalate between a Maryland town and an Episcopal church over the church’s overnight shelter for unhoused people. In response to the church’s lawsuit, the town of Ocean City has filed a countersuit, and it also has rejected the church’s permit applications for unrelated plumbing work.
Ocean City filed its countersuit July 21 in an attempt to shut down St. Paul’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church’s overnight shelter. The church, which is in the Diocese of Easton, had filed its initial lawsuit in federal court last month after it began receiving citations from Ocean City saying it must pay a fine of $1,000 a day or close the shelter on its property.
The Rev. Jill Williams, St. Paul’s By-the-Sea’s rector, told ENS that she’s “not surprised” by the countersuit.
“[City officials] had the choice to just back off, and they chose to double down and completely try to categorize this as only a zoning issue while ignoring the fact that it’s a mission and a religious freedom issue,” Williams said. “They’re playing with people’s lives. What they’re doing will ruin people’s lives.”
Click hear to read the countersuit filing.
St. Paul’s By-the-Sea’s legal clashes with Ocean City began in February after the church was given an April 1 deadline to stop allowing homeless people to sleep in church-provided tents on its property or face daily fines.
The small encampment was set up last fall in response to Ocean City and the surrounding Worcester County adopting ordinances in May 2025, making it illegal – punishable by jail time – for people to sleep in public spaces.
Williams suggested municipal officials adopted these ordinances because Ocean City is a resort town located on a barrier island off the Atlantic coast.
“I think they’re just listening to the money. They’re listening to the business owners and to the property condo owners – the people that financially control this city,” Williams said. “We need to prioritize taking care of people.”
After raising money to hire staff and cover other expenses required to operate as a shelter, St. Paul’s By-the-Sea beat the town’s deadline when it opened “The Shelter By-the-Sea” on March 31. The ministry operates nightly from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Now, about 25-39 people sleep at the shelter every night.
The town’s fire marshal has inspected the shelter and reported no violations, according to Williams.
Ocean City police officers and Worcester County Health Department officials have brought several people to stay overnight at the shelter. St. Paul’s By-the-Sea works closely with the Worcester County Public Defender’s Office.
The ministry, which is mostly funded by donations and the congregation, also offers dinner and breakfast, and helps overnight guests access other resources, such as substance abuse recovery programs and affordable housing assistance.
“We’re using our savings and our investments as necessary because a church is supposed to use its money to live out the Gospel,” Williams said.
St. Paul’s By-the-Sea’s and Ocean City’s legal dispute has extended to additional zoning issues. Over the last several months, church officials have worked with multiple plumbing contractors to obtain plumbing permits for a washer, dryer and utility sink, only to be rejected every time, even though electrical work is already complete and up to code. Ocean City officials say they’re enforcing zoning, building and safety codes, but Williams said she doesn’t believe them because neighboring churches have plumbing permits and washers and dryers installed.
The church’s attorney, Robin Cockey, has amended the church’s federal complaint to include the frequent plumbing permit denials.
St. Paul’s By-the-Sea has a “long road ahead” as it waits for the court date to be scheduled. In the meantime, the congregation continues to raise money and operate its ministry as normal.
“We need a public show of support,” Williams said. “If serving the unhoused is an important part of being an Episcopalian and we recognize it as a vital part of our faith and common ministry, then our voices should be heard.”
-Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.