.... and Brownwood is facing a Budget Deficit of 1 to 2.5 Million ?

Churches Putting Town Out of Business

Stafford, Texas, has 51 tax-exempt religious institutions and wants no more: 'Somebody's got to pay for police, fire and schools.'
By Lianne Hart, Times Staff Writer
July 31, 2006

STAFFORD, Texas — They are not the words one expects to hear from a politician or a Southerner, and Leonard Scarcella is both: "Our city has an excessive number of churches."

Scarcella is mayor of this Houston-area community, which has 51 churches and other religious institutions packed into its 7 square miles.

With some 300 undeveloped, potentially revenue-producing acres left in Stafford, officials are scrambling to find a legal way to keep more tax-exempt churches from building here.

"With federal laws, you can't just say, 'We're not going to have any more churches,' " Scarcella said. "We respect the Constitution, but 51 of anything is too much."

Stafford, population 19,227, is the largest city in Texas without a property tax, and it depends on sales taxes and business fees for revenue. Nonprofits have been attracted by its rapid growth and minimal deed restrictions. "It's thrown everything out of balance, plus providing zero revenue. Somebody's got to pay for police, fire and schools," City Councilman Cecil Willis said.

In 2003, around the time the 45th church settled in, city leaders began looking for a way to slow the pace of construction. Public meetings were held; "we had people of different religions attending, people in their religious garb, Buddhists in their orange gowns and whatever else, talking about this very openly," Scarcella said.

An ordinance eventually passed that required those who wanted to build a church — and other public gathering places, such as bowling alleys and community halls — to undergo a rigorous review process and obtain City Council approval.

Before the ordinance, "you could pretty much come in here and say, 'I want to open up a church,' and I'd say, 'OK,' " said Gene Bane, the city's director of building permits.

In his office is a large map of Stafford that is dotted with round yellow stickers, each dot denoting a church or religious facility. In some parts of town, the dots are so close together they nearly meld into a big yellow glob.

In one quarter-mile section near the city center, parishioners can choose among 17 churches. There are three small churches in the Quail Ridge Plaza shopping center, and three large brick churches on the street behind it. Down the road, the Evangelical Formosan Church is tucked behind a muffler shop.

"If you can't find religion in Stafford, Texas, you ain't looking hard enough," Bane said.

There are no synagogues in Stafford, but there are religious facilities for Buddhists, Muslims, Chinese Baptists, Filipino Baptists, Spanish-speaking Baptists, and "every other variety of Christian you can imagine," Scarcella said.

"As best as we've been able to determine, the overwhelming majority of people who attend here don't even live in Stafford; they're coming from everywhere else," Willis said. Elsewhere includes Houston, about 15 miles northeast, and nearby Sugar Land.

"I don't hate God. I'm not against America and apple pie," Willis said. "We just have to protect what's left for commercial development."

Lawyers researching ways to stop church growth here will report back to city leaders in about six weeks, Scarcella said.

Lola Onita, assistant pastor at Jesus House Texas, said churches should be allowed to spread unfettered in a country that respects religious freedom. "People need a place to worship and hear the word of God," she said.

But Nilda Martinez, who owns a flower shop between two churches, has had enough. "The churches, they're everywhere here," she said. "There are too many; the city should control it. It hurts the city when you don't have enough businesses paying taxes."

Willis said he asked the last six applicants why they wanted to build a church in Stafford. "Every one of them said they prayed about it, and God said to come here," he said. "I can't compete with that, so here we are."

source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-churches31jul31,0,6286040.story?coll=la-home-nation
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and in Brownwood ?

Home, where the cornerstone of faith begins. Brownwood is known for its deep and abiding faith. The town is the base for almost 100 churches ranging from small home churches to several quite large congregations numbering over 1,000 members. The values passed down over the ages can still be found in abundance, based on Scripture and projected through the community. Brownwood feels like home because that is where our traditions are rooted in worship and grounded in the sure knowledge of God's bounty.

Regardless of your faith needs, there is always a home for you in the churches of Brownwood and the surrounding communities. Come, see and worship.

Adventist

Seventh Day Adventist
2211 Ave. D
Brownwood, TX 76801

Apostolic

Apostolic Truth Tabernacle
303 S. Broadway
Brownwood, TX 76801

Assembly of God

New Life Assembly of God
1910 Indian Creek Rd.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Southside Assembly of God
1413 13th St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Templo Elim Asamblea De Dios
2619 W. Mail Blvd.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Baptist

Ave. D Baptist Church
1105 Ave. D
Brownwood, TX 76801

Bangs FBC
601 S. 2nd
Bangs, TX 76823

Belle Plain Baptist Church
2010 Belle Plain
Brownwood, TX 76801

Bethel Baptist Church
RR 1
Zephyr, TX 76890

Blanket FBC
Rt. 1, Box 168
Blanket, TX 76432

Brookesmith Baptist Church
P.O. Box 701
Brookesmith, TX 76827

Brownwood FBC
208 Austin Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Brownwood First Mexican Baptist
1600 Melwood
Brownwood, TX 76804

Calvary Baptist Church
1719 Ninth
Brownwood, TX 76801

Church By The Lake
RR 2, Post 27, Box 6
Brownwood, TX 76801

Coggin Ave. Baptist Church
1815 Coggin Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Community Baptist Church
P.O. Box 3028
Early, TX 76803

Concord Baptist Church
FM 586
Bangs, TX 76823

Cross Roads Baptist Church
State Park Rd.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Early FBC
103 Garmon
Early, TX 76803

Faith Baptist Church
2001 14th St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Fellowship Baptist Church
904 12th St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Grace Baptist Church
103 Salt Creek Dr.
Early, TX 76803

Greater Faith Community Church
417 Wesley
Brownwood, TX 76801

Grosvenor Baptist Church
Rt. 5, Box 178A
Brownwood, TX 76801

Inglesia Nuevo Amanecer
2010 Belle Plain
Brownwood, TX 76801

Hillcrest Baptist Church
Ave. E & 18th
Brownwood, TX 76804

Jones Chapel Baptist Church
P.O. Box 3028
Early, TX 76803

Lake Brownwood FBC
RR 5, Post 70, Box 16
Brownwood, TX 76804

Lakeview Baptist Church
Adams St. Community Center
510 E. Adams
Brownwood, TX 76801

Little Zion Missionary Baptist
601 Cordell
Brownwood, TX 76801

May FBC
RR 1, Box 80A
May, TX 76857

Mid-Town Baptist Church
1813 3rd St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Milton Ave. Baptist Church
702 Milton Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Mision Bautista Nueva Vida
1815 Coggin Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Mt. Zion Baptist Church
914 Bailey
Brownwood, TX 76801

Northridge Baptist Church
Pecan Valley Community Church
551 W. Commerce
Brownwood, TX 76801

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church
Rt. 1, Box 445
May, TX 76857

Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana
1600 Melwood
Brownwood, TX 76804

Primitive Baptist Church
1515 Brady Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

River of Life Community Church
2719 Austin Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Rocky Creek Baptist Church
HC 30, Box 16
Brownwood, TX 76801

Salt Creek Baptist Church
7775 N. FM 3100
Brownwood, TX 76801

Southside Baptist Church
1219 Indian Creek Rd.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Sunset Baptist Mission
300 Simmons
Brownwood, TX 76804

T.R. Havins Unit
500 FM 45E
Brownwood, TX 76801

Victory Baptist
2202 W. Center
Brownwood, TX 76801

Woodcreek Baptist
1900 Calvert Rd.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Zephyr FBC
P.O. Box 583
Zephyr, TX 76890

Catholic

St Mary's Catholic Church
1105 Main Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Charismatic

Heartland Church
Hwy. 279
Brownwood, TX 76801

Christian

First Christian Church
2411 Coggin
Brownwood, TX 76801

Church of Christ

4th and Stewart Church of Christ
3201 4th St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Austin Ave. Church of Christ
1020 Austin Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Ave. W Church of Christ
800 Ave. W
Brownwood, TX 76801

Bangs Church of Christ
306 5th St.
Bangs, TX 76823

Brady Ave. Church of Christ
1610 Brady Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Early Church of Christ
900 Early Blvd.
Early, TX 76803

Iglesia de Cristo
1412 Belle Plain
Brownwood, TX 76801

Lake Brownwood Church of Christ
Hwy. 279 at Lamar
Brownwood, TX 76801

Vine Street Church of Christ
1123 Vine St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Woodland Heights Church of Christ
P.O. Box 696
Brownwood, TX 76801

Zephyr Church of Christ
Hwy. 84
Zephyr, TX 76890

Church of God

Church of God
1045 W. Commerce
Brownwood, TX 76801

Episcopal

Church of the Good Shepherd
1800 Good Shepherd Dr.
Brownwood, TX 76801

St. John's Episcopal Church
700 Main
Brownwood, TX 76801

Full Gospel

Breath of Life Church
209 Garmon Dr.
Early, TX 76803

Centro De Adoracion y Alabanza
1814 Vincent
Brownwood, TX 76801

Harvest Jubilee Tabernacle
2601 Cleburn St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Interdenominational

Christian Teaching Center
2101 Coggin Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Miracle Faith Tabernacle
3001 Coggin Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Lutheran

Grace Lutheran
1401 1st St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Methodist

Bangs First United Methodist
301 S. 1st
Bangs, TX 76823

Brownwood First United Methodist
2500 11th St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Central United Methodist
1502 2nd St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Early First United Methodist
P.O. Box 3281
Early, TX 76803

Emanuel Chapel Methodist
900 Beaver
Brownwood, TX 76801

Fisherman Chapel United Methodist
Thunderbird Bay
Brownwood, TX 76801

Lake Brownwood First United Methodist
HC 30, Post 78, Box 7
Brownwood, TX 76801

Lee Chapel AME
911 Beaver St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

May First United Methodist
201 Gay
May, TX 76857

Zephyr United Methodist
Hwy. 183
Zephyr, TX 76890

Nazarene

First Church of the Nazarene
1715 Ave. I
Brownwood, TX 76801

Nondenominational

Abundant Life Church
539 W. Commerce
Brownwood, TX 76801

Brownwood Bible Fellowship
Family Services Center
901 Ave. B
Brownwood, TX 76801

Christ Chapel
1617 N. Main Blvd.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Church of the Lord Jesus
1801 Brady Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Church of Truth
Zephyr, TX 76890

Cornerstone Fellowship
1706 Vine/408 6th St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Downtown Bible Class
Brownwood Manor
E. Lee and Center
Brownwood, TX 76801

Living Word Church
P.O. Box 1549
Brownwood, TX 76801

New Gospel Lighthouse
215 Homewood Circle
Early, TX 76803

North Lake Community Church
Corner of Lakeshore Dr. and
Harbor Point
Brownwood, TX 76801

The Worship Center
506 Edwards
Brownwood, TX 76801

Orthodox

Holy Trinity Orthodox Church
RR1, Box 115
Rochelle, TX

Pentecostal

Brownwood Evangelism Center
2515 Ave. D
Brownwood, TX 76801

Maranatha Faith Temple
1811 Main Blvd.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Nueva Jerusalem
1001 Penn
Brownwood, TX 76801

New Beginnings Pentecostal
Church of God
P.O. Box 1047
Brownwood, TX 76801

Shiloh Bible Church
P.O. Box 2146
Brownwood, TX 76804

Templo La Hermosa
1105 Victoria St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Trinity Chapel
1040 Early Blvd.
Early, TX 76801

Presbyterian

Union Presbyterian Church
700 Fisk
Brownwood, TX 76801

source: http://www.brownwoodtx.com/we/we_dir_church.asp