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River baptisms, such as the one that Pastor Todd Pyle of Cornerstone Baptist Church performed on Mark Maynard last month, are permitted, though church groups question the Park Authority's new regulations. |
Though Fredericksburg area Christians can still be saved in the waters of the Rappahannock River, civil liberties and religious groups say the Fredericksburg-Stafford Park Authority's new group-use policy poses problems.
Ten members of the Cornerstone Baptist Church were baptized last weekend without interference and New Generation Church plans a smaller river baptism ceremony this weekend.
The controversy arose after park officials told the Rev. Todd Pyle, Cornerstone's senior pastor, that the group's baptism on May 23 violated the agency's park-usage policy. A dozen were baptized that day while about 50 members looked on at Falmouth Waterfront Park.
Park officials adopted a policy last week that states officials "will not discriminate against any user group based on content or the nature of its activity."
But that's the first step, according to advocates.
The Rev. Pat Mahoney, a Spotsylvania County resident who heads the Christian Defense Coalition, said policy is not much different from what they had before. The new policy states:
"The Director and his staff shall have the authority to restrict access to user groups whose activity interferes with the peaceful enjoyment of FSPA facilities by the public or other user groups."
"Large user groups that use portions of the parks for organized activity may be asked to obtain a use permit if the Director or his staff determine that a special allocation of facilities is necessary based on the size of the group, the space needed for the activity and the demand on the use of the space by the public."
"It seems that in the regulation they want their cake and eat it, too," said Mahoney, who wants to meet with the Park Authority board of directors to see if they can come up with a better policy.
Kent Willis, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, said these policies are asking for trouble.
"The two points give too much discretion to park officials to decide who gets to use the park and who does not," he said.
There needs to be a specific requirement for obtaining a permit.
Willis said he had spoken to two park officials prior to the adoption of the new policy. He also sent a letter suggesting the policy include precise and reasonable rules in regards to permit requirement.
The directors debated the policy's language during their meeting last week before voting. They all agreed that they will review the policy again and allow groups the right to appeal staff decisions to the board.
Matt Kelly, a Fredericksburg City Council member who serves on the park board, agreed they need to work on the policy.
"At one hand you can't stop people from handing out religious tracts, but what do you do when someone is drunk or nasty?" Kelly asked. "We need to better define what is inappropriate behavior."
Pyle, who obtained a permit for last weekend's baptisms, said park officials contacted him prior to the event and told him he was allowed to have a baptism if he wanted.
"We were pleased with the outcome and decision not to prohibit [river baptisms]," he said. "We felt they made the right choice."
When Pyle requested a permit he asked what the number limit was and was told they didn't know. He stated on the permit that they would baptize 10, although about 50 people attended the event.
River safety remains a concern for park officials.
Just like after last month's group baptism, a Manassas man--unrelated to the church gathering--drowned at the Rappahannock River. The victim was the fifth person in the past two years to drown in the river.
Pyle said his safety precautions include staying near the shore, not crossing the river and escorting each child.
"I knew how much rainfall we had in a couple of days and knew the river wouldn't be unusual," he said. "If it were dangerous we wouldn't have gone."
After a series of drownings in 2001, park officials placed signs--in English and Spanish--along the river bank warning of river dangers.
Park Authority officials say they discourage swimming in the Rappahannock River, but since the river is governed by state law, they can't prohibit people from entering the water, said Eric Olsen, member of the park's board of directors.
"We don't want to encourage anybody to be in the river, it's dangerous," Olsen said. "But we would be naïve to turn our backs to the fact that people do go into the river."
To reach JESSICA ALLEN: 540/368-5036 jiallen@freelancestar.com
