DIMONDALE, Mich. — A couple is fighting for the right to fully operate their church after purchasing and remodeling the Tarrington Church in January 2024, only to face ongoing restrictions from township officials.
I reached out to the township supervisor to hear what she had to say, but I did not hear back by the time this story aired.
- Austin and Eliza Hamilton have been limited to just 10 hours of weekly prayer services and Bible studies under a temporary certificate of occupancy.
- The couple says they've complied with all township requirements but continue to face new obstacles despite providing documentation of their church status.
- Neighbors have spoken out in support of the church, with some concerned about township tax dollars being spent on legal services to restrict the church's operations.
WATCH: Dimondale church owners make final plea in township battle
No weddings, no funerals, no baptisms. It's a battle over what the Tarrington Church in Dimondale can and cannot do.
I sat down with the owners, who've made their final plea.
Austin and Eliza Hamilton bought a church in January of 2024 with a dream.
"We wanted a place for community, a place people wanted to be at and worship," Austin Hamilton said.
But shortly after purchasing and remodeling, they say they received a cease and desist letter from the township.
"They said we were running an event venue, and they had complaints from the township," Hamilton said.
So now, over a year later, they still aren't fully operating.
"We immediately provided them with our ecclesiastical LLC proving we are a church, and we FOIA'd records looking for complaints, and we did not find a complaint in the records that were FOIA'd," Hamilton said.
And the Hamiltons say the township keeps throwing them roadblocks.
"Every time they give us something we need to do, we do it, and they give us something else," Hamilton said.
They tell me since July, they've been operating under a temporary certificate of occupancy that limits them to just 10 hours a week for prayer services and Bible studies... as that's what the former church had right when they closed.
"Right before the church closed, so they aren't including the prior use of the church since the 1960s," Hamilton said.
Neighbors reached out after attending a board meeting last week, where they shared why they don't understand why the church can't fully operate.
"At this point, it's silly, laughable," said a neighbor.
And another neighbor who's lived across the street since the first church opened tells me that when the first church was here, it was nothing but positive for the community.
"Now I have a bit of a problem, some of my money that I pay is going for legal services to stop this program, and that concerns me," the neighbor said.
The Hamiltons tell me they're at a point where they feel there isn't another option.
"We don't see another option besides going to court. It's unfortunate for us and for the township taxpayers who don't know or are in favor of this situation; it's just not right," Hamilton said.
I reached out to the township supervisor to hear what she had to say, but I did not hear back by the time this story aired.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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