Spartanburg apartment complex reverses course on Bible studies

Thursday, May 11, 2006

SPARTANBURG — The owners of a Spartanburg apartment complex say they will allow residents to continue holding their weekly Bible studies while they review whether the sessions violate the Fair Housing Act.

The owners of Heritage Court had told residents this week to stop holding the Bible studies in a common area and instead hold them in a private apartment. The complex is privately owned by One Management of Raleigh, N.C., but many residents have their rent subsidized by federal vouchers.

The course reversal comes after Attorney General Henry McMaster said his office would investigate whether the owners committed “religious discrimination” in having the Bible studies ended.

“We felt like it would help diffuse the situation a little bit” to allow the sessions to continue, at least for now, said One Management Vice President Jenny Petri. “We have had a situation where our property manager got phone calls at home calling her a devil worshipper.”

She pointed out that the residents have not yet missed a Bible study session. The next one is scheduled for Monday.

Petri said she hopes to have a response soon from the Department of Justice on whether the sessions are allowable.

McMaster announced his investigation Wednesday, joining other officials in the state who had challenged the apartment owners’ interpretation of the law.

Some of the 20 or so people who turned out for an hour each Monday night for worship, singing and fellowship said the sessions were important.

“We were really into this Bible study. It was a sharing time. Now we can’t do anything spiritual. That’s the pits,” said Sara Bryant, who lives at Heritage Court with her husband, Bob, before the owners decided to allow the sessions to continue.

William Dudley Gregorie, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s field office director for South Carolina, said the Bible studies are likely OK as long as permission was also given to any other religious group who wanted to use the area.

“In other words, if you let one, you have to let all,” he said.

U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis, R-S.C., planned to send a letter to the apartment complex management telling them the Bible studies can legally continue.

The owners had told residents they were free to hold the studies in their own homes. But they worried the crowd had gotten to big to fit, even if Joyce Harvey followed through with her offer to roll her hospital bed to one side so more chairs could fit along the wall.

“It’s just not going to be accessible. I’m afraid some people will drop out — that they’ll think it’s too crowded or too much trouble,” Marilyn Conley said. “But we’re going to try to hold it together.”