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A Christian shore town will open its beach on Sunday mornings for the first time in 155 years.
Since 1869, Ocean Grove, New Jersey, has kept its mile-long strip of Jersey Shore beach closed for religious observation until noon on Sundays.
Now, following ongoing pushback from the state of New Jersey, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association (OGCMA) has been ordered to open the beach.
"For 155 years, we have closed our beach on Sunday mornings to honor God — a core pillar of this community since the founding of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association," the group wrote in a statement posted on its website.
"Now, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is ordering us to open our privately owned beach on Sunday mornings."
The sun rises on Easter morning in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. (Joshua Comins/Fox News Digital)
The OGCMA announced that it will challenge the order "to preserve our property rights and religious freedom."
The association wrote, "Our application for an emergent stay is pending, but we have no indication when an Order will be entered. We are currently compelled to comply with the NJDEP order to open the beach, but have not ceased nor abandoned our quest to protect our religious and property rights."
NEW JERSEY CHRISTIAN BEACH TOWN FACES PRESSURE TO STOP ITS FAITH-BASED CLOSURES ON SUNDAY MORNINGS
Ocean Grove will provide lifeguards on Sunday mornings for the safety of beachgoers, in the meantime, it said.
"We continue to do ministry by providing opportunities for spiritual birth, growth and renewal through worship, education and cultural programs," the OGCMA concluded in its statement. "As always, we welcome all to join us in ‘God’s Square Mile.’"
A sign displays Ocean Grove, New Jersey's Sunday morning beach closure message. (Joshua Comins/Fox News Digital)
After finding the OGCMA to be in violation of the Coastal Area Facility Review Act, the NJDEP served the group with an administrative order in Oct. 2023 to remove the padlocks and chains from their beach site from May through September.
The agency threatened fines of $25,000 per day if Ocean Grove does not comply.
On May 21, NJDEP commissioner Shawn LaTourette denied the OGCMA’s subsequent request to stay, or halt, the order pending appeal.
"I find that OGCMA has not demonstrated that a stay of departmental enforcement of applicable public access requirements is warranted in this matter," the commissioner concluded in the legal document, which was shared with Fox News Digital.
"Accordingly, OGCMA’s request for a stay is denied."
The NJDEP declined further comment to Fox News Digital this week, as the "matter is in litigation."
An assortment of Ocean Grove's community beach badges are shown in the Jersey Shore sand. (Joshua Comins/Fox News Digital)
In Aug. 2023, Ocean Grove received a letter from the NJDEP warning of this outcome.
Several protests also occurred last summer, as opposition groups trespassed onto Ocean Grove’s private beach property while it was closed for Sunday worship.
In a previous interview with Fox News Digital, former OGCMA President Michael Badger said the Sunday morning beach closure is important for furthering Ocean Grove's tradition and respecting religious observation.
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"It creates a quieter, less stressful environment," he said. "It's in keeping with the historic charm that is characteristic of Ocean Grove and differentiates us from our neighboring communities."
He also said, "There's less traffic in the streets. It's slightly easier to get parking. You don't have the Italian ice and ice cream trucks going up and down the street."
Counter-protesters are pictured in front of an Ocean Grove beach entrance in 2023. OGCMA is a private, religiously affiliated nonprofit that owns the land in Ocean Grove — including the near-half-mile beach, boardwalk and pier. (Joshua Comins/Fox News Digital)
It also grants Ocean Grove's lifeguards half a day off, he said — and allows people to attend church.
"Overall, it's improving the quality of life that benefits both secular and religious intentions," he said.
Ocean Grove has had its beach closed on Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon between Memorial Day and Labor Day for a couple of decades, Badger shared.
Before that, the city closed its beach all day on Sundays.
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OGCMA is a private, religiously affiliated nonprofit that owns the land in Ocean Grove — including the near-half-mile beach, boardwalk and pier — and is home to the longest-serving lifeguard corps in New Jersey, according to Badger.
Fox News Digital reached out to the OGCMA for further comment.
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