As reported by The Christian Post, a pastor in Phoenix who received 60 days in jail, probation and $12,000 in fines for holding a bible study on his property may serve three years in prison for violating his probation and refusing to pay the fines owed. The Phoenix Municipal Court had ruled that Michael Salman, founder of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Phoenix and pastor of Church of God in Christ, was in violation of 67 municipal safety, building and fire codes while holding regular worship gatherings of more than 15 people on his property. Salman’s attorney said he was found guilty this week of continuing to hold gatherings of more than 12 people, so in about a month the court will decide if Salman will receive more jail time.
Salman received warnings from the City starting in 2006 when they said that his property was “analogous to a church” and he must comply with zoning ordinances. The battle between Salman and the city has continued and escalated since then, when Salman built a 2,000-square-foot building on the back side of his property and began to hold studies and worship gatherings there.
“They’re cracking down on religious activities and religious use,” Salman told FOX News. “They’re attacking what I as a Christian do in the privacy of my home. If I had people coming to my home on a regular basis for poker night or Monday Night Football, it would be permitted. But when someone says to us we are not allowed to gather because of religious purposes—that is when you have discrimination.”
The local prosecutor’s office says the situation is not an issue of religious freedom but rather of public safety. Vicki Hill, the chief assistant prosecutor, said to FOX News, “It came down to zoning and proper permitting…any time you are holding a gathering of people continously as he does—we have concerns about people being able to exit the facility properly in case there is a fire—and that’s really as this comes down to.”
