Daytona Beach Orders Two Sabbatarian Churches to Close Food Pantries Over Code Violations

Code enforcement officials in Daytona Beach have ordered two food pantries operated by churches to cease operations, citing violations of local ordinances. The affected pantries, located at First Christian Church and the Seventh Day Baptist Church, have served the community for over a decade. The city claims both locations are within a redevelopment area where food pantries are prohibited under current land development codes.

Lindsay Nedders, a former beneficiary of the First Christian Church food pantry, recalled how the service supported her during a time of financial hardship. “When I first got here, I didn’t have a job, or I didn’t have food,” she said. “They provide meals for Thanksgiving, for families.” Donna Marie Burcham, another regular visitor, emphasized the pantry’s role in supplementing her household income. “It helps us out greatly,” she said. “I don’t know what to do.”

Pastor David Troxler of First Christian Church revealed that city officials delivered the notice last Friday during a food drive. The letter stated that the church violated an ordinance prohibiting food pantries in redevelopment areas. The pantry had been operating since 2010, but a new ordinance enacted two years after its opening restricted such services in the area. Troxler expressed concern that relocating the pantry would make it inaccessible to those who rely on it most. “It would defeat our purpose of serving the people downtown to go to some other locations,” he said. “We’d have to go outside the redevelopment district to do that, and that would be too far away from the people that only walk.”

The Seventh Day Baptist Church also faced similar orders. Pastor Ben Figueroa explained that the church had relied on a “grandfather law” to continue its food pantry, but the city rejected this argument. “They said it doesn’t matter,” Figueroa said. “So it has left us in a difficult situation.” He pledged to fight the decision, citing the community’s reliance on the service. “They help us with great needs,” Burcham said. “You know, with hygiene, with fresh food, milk, just all the needs that we can … we just don’t have in our income.”

The city cited complaints from residents and business owners about loitering and traffic issues at both churches as the basis for its enforcement action. In an email, city officials reiterated that food pantries are not permitted in redevelopment areas, where both churches are located. The decision has sparked concern among community members who rely on these services for essential support.

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