GASTONIA, N.C. — A church in Gastonia is on the defense again.
Faith, Hope and Love Ministries is working to provide the homeless community with more support during the brutal cold temperatures the area has experienced this week. This church is the same one that found itself in a legal battle with the City of Gastonia over its homeless encampment last summer.
Pastor Moses Colbert said he was not doing anything wrong. He continues to work with the homeless, serving them food, offering showers, and a place for laundry.
However, with the below-freezing temperatures this week, Moses started helping people even earlier in the day. He said it’s a decision that seems to be getting some pushback.
“I felt violated,” said Moses. “I felt like, here we go again.”
For more than 20 years, Pastor Moses has served the homeless community. But at times it’s gotten him in trouble.
Last year, Moses had a homeless encampment on his property, where dozens slept in tents. That encampment was shut down in September after the City of Gastonia sued the ministry for violating several city and zoning ordinances. The parties eventually agreed on a deal to dismiss over $100,000 in fines after the church got rid of the encampment.
This week, Moses felt called to expand his hours, opening the doors to his church even earlier in the day. Then he received a letter from the Gastonia Fire Marshall, claiming that Moses was opening an emergency shelter.
“We are not opening an emergency shelter,” Moses said. “We just want to keep people from freezing to death.”
The Salvation Army has an overnight shelter in Gastonia, but people must leave by 6 a.m. The ministry said they want to bridge the gap.
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“We get up super early and try to make our rounds," Pastor Monica Colbert said. "We have some that we know where they sleep, where their campsites are and then we’ll swing by the Salvation.”
The ministry brings people in for meals, comfort, and warmth. TJ, who is homeless, said these are meals he looks forward to.
“Some people can’t eat, and some people don’t know where they are going to get food at,” TJ said. “At least we do.”
Gastonia Fire Marshal Chris Stowe said they received multiple complaints from an anonymous source and had to investigate the claims because it is a safety issue.
“It’s really no different than if somebody called me and said there is an exit blocked,” Stowe said. “We have to check it out.”
Stowe said if the allegations were true then the ministry could face civil penalties.
“I said you can bring them in, you can have them in your pews, you can do church activities and keep them out of the cold,” Stowe said. “What you can’t do, because the North Carolina fire code and the North Carolina building code say so, is house them in the church, have beds and cots things like that.”
Stowe found the complaints to be unfounded.
“I do think he has a heart to help people,” Stowe said. “I told him as long as he does not have nobody living in his church, I have no problem with what he is doing.”
The ministry said they have no plans to let people sleep inside the church and feel targeted.
“The letter was shocking because it’s just hearsay,” Monica said.
Moses said he is going to continue to do what he can to support the homeless community.
“We’re fighting for the rights of the people who can’t fight for themselves."
Moses added that the city and community could get further if they worked together and not against each other to find solutions to the homeless problem in Gastonia.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.