Pastor Gabriel Salguero, who owns his own building and is renting it out to several other churches, mentioned that he’d like to see larger churches in the city like Redeemer Presbyterian (PCA) get involved and stand in solidarity with smaller churches who have little economic leverage.

More than 100 pastors, council members, and churchgoers braced against the bitter wind in downtown Manhattan at 1 pm Wednesday to protest New York City’s ban against religious organizations renting public schools as a meeting space.

They stood on the stairs of the Tweed Building with signs, cheered on speakers, and then marched to City Hall singing “Our God is an Awesome God.”

NYC Councilman/pastor Fernando Cabrera outlined the next steps for the opposition efforts: His resolution 1155 will have a city hearing next Tuesday. He is still awaiting the date for a state hearing and hoping to earn an audience with Mayor Bloomberg.

Cabrera and others are in a race against time. The ban, which goes in effect on Feb. 12, will disrupt an arrangement that has proved beneficial for both parties. Religious organizations, many of whom serve low-income congregations, are able to meet in an affordable space while subsidizing the public school’s income through rent, often ranging from $1,500-$4,000 per month per congregation.

Not only that, but these organizations are highly influential in their communities. Leaders and members run after-school programs, mediate between violent gang leaders, feed the homeless, and help AIDS victims.

[Editor’s note: This article is incomplete. The link (URL) to the original article is unavailable and has been removed.]