FROM LIGHTHOUSE UNITED

An open letter to those Gasparilla neighbors who seek church parking restrictions

BY PETER SODERBERG
CHAIR OF COUNCIL LIGHTHOUSE UNITED METHODIST

Once again we face a parking restrictions campaign targeting our churches, which you have encouraged, that causes unnecessary strife between neighbors. 

As you would have noted from last Friday’s Beacon, Kimberly Whipple and I are now charged with guiding our strategy on behalf of our two Churches for dealing with your group’s challenge to our continued community service, outreach, and momentum. We have since been joined in our response by the First Baptist Church and had several meetings with our leadership groups. Your response to this email will influence us as to what options for response we bring to them and our other stakeholders.

Please understand that we view your efforts as an existential threat to our historic rights and future ability to serve our Congregations and our greater community in the name of the Lord. We are not just Sunday morning institutions but operate as needed throughout the week to host ministries and events like weddings, memorial services, Bible studies, community pancake breakfasts, musical performances, and AA meetings, amongst others.

For example, please take a look online at our Church’s calendar at bglighthouseumc.com/calendar.

You will note that in addition to the above, we have been blessed to share our space with many of our Island organizations that were displaced from the recent hurricanes.  Groups we have hosted in February or will host in March include: the Woman’s Club; the Garden Club; and the Johann Fust Library Foundation. 

We must preserve access to our churches for this compelling array of services to our congregations and to our community. Your careful examination of the times they occur would suggest that the parking issues you complain about so vigorously happen mostly at times other than when these events do.

In an effort to do everything we can to work this out before tensions and discord get even worse and before we are forced to retain counsel, we ask you to come to the table now to see if we can coexist in mutual respect and harmony.

We look forward to your response.