Hawkins, a community in northern Texas, has profound roots in America’s Judeo-Christian origins. The town created a sign that says “Jesus Welcomes You to Hawkins” as a representation of the community’s ideals, and it has welcomed tourists on Highway 80 since 2015. Despite the fact that the sign had caused no problems for numerous years, the municipal council suddenly objected to its appearance and ordered the Jesus Christ Open Altar Church to remove it.
When the church declined, the city made it its goal to demolish the exhibit, requiring the congregation to stand guard over the sign in turns. They never anticipated that the city would employ government officials to slip over in the middle of the night and steal the church’s flag.
According to Hawkins City Secretary Dona Jordan, the city council ignored the community’s fury over the sign’s removal, claiming that it was their property. The congregation, on the other hand, is outraged that the city would go to such low depths, arguing that the parcel of land truly belongs to the church itself.
The city disregarded their concerns, thinking that the church would finally accept their destiny. Realizing that its civil servants were no longer serving its people, the church has boldly stated that it is pursuing a religious discrimination case against the council, accusing them of perpetrating an anti-Christian hate crime, according to church trustee Mark McDonald.
While the city has consistently rejected legal counsel in order to undercut the church’s supposed ownership of the property, they are paying attention now. McDonald believes that the city is being investigated for multiple legal infractions and that voters will confront them in court.
The Christian majority is facing greater persecution than ever before. Churches are being forced to violate their biblical principles due to unconstitutional laws. Small towns and close-knit communities have always proved to be powerful foes against the tyranny of government overreach. Others, on the other hand, are discovering that they have no option but to fight fire with fire.
Although residents have no objections to the sign, Chief of Police Manfred Gilow claims that it has only lately become a safety threat since cars need 90-degree access to the roadway.
The city claimed it had had an easement on the land since 1909. The church, on the other hand, claims that the city abandoned its interest in the land in 1994, therefore nullifying their claim to the title. The neighborhood will remain split until the city and church square off in court. The planned turn, which would pass across the land, is being built by the city. Yet, the church isn’t going down without a struggle. Only time will tell if the court will agree with the haughty municipal council or with the outraged congregation.
