DOJ Files Lawsuit Against Idaho Town Over Religious Discrimination Toward Church
May 26, 2025
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has sued the city of Troy, Idaho for religious discrimination after the town denied a church’s application to hold worship services in the C-1 zone.
Christianity Daily reports that the DOJ filed the complaint last week in U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho after the city of Troy allegedly violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) by denying the application of Christ Church for a permit to hold religious services.
The church’s growing congregation had become too large, requiring the church to seek out several new locations for services in nearby Moscow, Idaho.
The complaint states: “As part of this expansion effort, Christ Church sought to find an appropriate facility for Sunday services in Troy, which is a close neighbor to Moscow. Historically, congregants residing in Troy have commuted from Troy to Moscow to attend the church’s services, but desire to have worship services in Troy.”
In spite of the town already permitting non-religious assemblies such as clubs, museums, auditoriums, and art galleries in the C-1 district, the DOJ alleges “the permit was denied because of public animus towards the church’s religious beliefs” in violation of the RLUIPA.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division explained, “RLUIPA unequivocally forbids local governments from deciding zoning matters based on their dislike of certain religious groups.”
Christ Church, which is led by Senior Pastor Douglas Wilson, has garnered attention for its support of traditional Christian values and its goal to make Moscow, Idaho a “Christian town.”
According to Christianity Daily, the church stated: “Under the grace of God, this means that our desire is to make Moscow a Christian town through faithful and robust covenant renewal worship on the Lord’s Day, through proclamation of the gospel to unbelievers, while training additional evangelists who will continue proclaiming that gospel, through teaching men and women how to live together in harmonious Christian marriage, through establishing a family-friendly culture of Christian education.”
To address its growing congregation, the church had rented a downtown Troy bar in September 2022 where it could hold Sunday services.
The Troy city attorney sent a cease and desist letter to the bar’s owner, claiming, “the bar could not be used for church services because a conditional use permit was required for a church to operate in a commercial zoning district.”
After a church elder purchased a former bank building in Troy’s business district, the conditional use permit was denied in March 2023 with the city claiming that the church “did not enhance the commercial district” and that religious use was “not in harmony with the Comprehensive Plan.”
Photo: top, Credit: Official Website of the DOJ