
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 9, 1993                   TAG: 9306090206
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

PARKS OK'D AS SITES FOR REVIVALS

Roanoke's Board of Zoning Appeals voted Tuesday to permit four city parks to be used for tent revivals this summer, a request that apparently does not violate the separation of church and state.

JC Ministries will conduct four weekly, nondenominational revivals, beginning in July in Washington Park. Other revivals will be conducted in Fallon, Hurt and Preston parks.

The city already rents the Roanoke Civic Center and Victory Stadium to religious groups, so there is a precedent for allowing city property to be used for religious purposes.

Religious organizations have also been permitted to use city parks in the past.

City officials said they can't arbitrarily deny the use of city property because a group has a religious affiliation.

JC Ministries will have to pay all costs for putting up the tent and providing other facilities and services.

The city charges a rental fee if a group wants to use basketball and tennis courts or other facilities within a park. But there is no rent for using vacant land in parks where the tent will be erected.

Neil Crawford, a coordinator for the revivals, told the board the services will be held from 7 to 10 p.m.

Bob Copty, a board member, said he does not think the revivals will cause noise problems. The city allows stock-car racing in Victory Stadium and the revivals will cause less noise than the race cars, he said.

by CNB