Sacred music: zoning vs. groovy theology.

• Author: Howley, Kerry
• Position: Citings - Brief Article

MARRIED COUPLE William and Alex Pritts wanted to hold a concert on their 147 wooded acres in Bullskin Township, near Pittsburgh, but the local zoning commission insisted their land could not be used for commercial purposes. Undeterred, the Prittses founded the Universal Church of Love and Music--a church that operates remarkably like a concert venue.

The "music church" is an amphitheater that welcomes bluegrass, rock, and jazz talent like the Zen Tricksters and the Jazz Mandolin Project. Churchgoers gain entrance by offering a $40 donation. "We're operating our church out of a strong belief that we have the right to be doing this, and that the zoning commission is violating our constitutional rights, "Alex Pritts says.

The zoning commission is not amused. The couple was originally refused a zoning permit on the grounds that they live in "a very rural community, and the best us of [the Prittses'] land is agricultural," says Fayette County Zoning Director Tammy Shell. "We've posted several cease-and-desist orders on the property, and we...