For years, Heather Schott has been praying to God about how she can help survivors of human trafficking.
A year after she and her husband, Landon Schott, launched Mercy Culture Church in April 2019, the Fort Worth pastor started a nonprofit called The Justice Reform with the goal of ending sex trafficking in the region.
The organization to build The Justice Residences, a shelter for human trafficking survivors, in 2022. The complex faced opposition from residents living near the church northeast of downtown, and The Justice Reform withdrew its application before it was presented before zoning commissioners.
Two years later, the of the shelter 鈥� now called a religious discipleship center 鈥� was back on the zoning docket. This time, at a Nov. 13 meeting that drew dozens of church supporters and neighborhood opponents, the zoning commission voted the plan down 6-4. Commissioners did not offer comment on their reasoning.
The decision will ultimately come down to a Fort Worth City Council vote, set for Dec. 10.
鈥淭here is more to come,鈥� Schott told the Fort Worth Report after the commission meeting. 鈥淲e will be building The Justice Residences.鈥�
Plans come amid neighborhood opposition
The Justice Reform a site plan application to the city in July seeking to add a multistory building located at 2001 Oakhurst Scenic Drive, just off Interstate 35 near downtown. The building would be adjacent to Mercy Culture鈥檚 Fort Worth campus, located at 1701 Oakhurst Scenic Drive.
The building would be two stories tall with a split-level basement. One level would include the dining hall, exercise room, business offices, a kitchen and storage rooms. Each of the two levels above would have gathering rooms, a place for storage and sleeping rooms for up to 115 people combined. A chapel would be located on the first floor, according to site plan documents.
This summer, city staff determined that the new proposed construction would not be allowed under the property鈥檚 current zoning, requiring the organization to apply for a zoning change if they wish to proceed.
Over the past two years, church leadership and Oakhurst residents have been over the proposed two-story building that would sit adjacent to the church鈥檚 Fort Worth campus. More than 340 residents filed a petition in opposition to the project, Katherine Bauer, president of the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association, said at the Nov. 13 meeting.
Bauer took to the podium to voice concerns about the safety of the project, increased parking problems and suitability of the location for a high-security restoration home.
鈥淭his creates a public safety concern, a very real public safety concern and it appears the applicant also knows and understands that there is a public safety concern,鈥� Bauer said, referencing distributed by The Justice Reform about how the project plans to have 24/7 security, fencing around the property and a 鈥渜uick response system鈥� to law enforcement.
Lawyers debate use of church-related activities
Over the past two months, leaders of Mercy Culture 鈥� including state Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, who represents the church and is also one of its pastors 鈥� the city of Fort Worth鈥檚 procedures as discriminating against the church and delaying the process to build the shelter.
The Schotts have also argued that the church has a 鈥渓egal right鈥� under the of the First Amendment to build the shelter. After voicing their complaints, the Schotts met with Mayor Mattie Parker before heading to the zoning hearing.
Assistant City Manager Dana Burghdoff in October that discussions between the church鈥檚 attorney and the city鈥檚 attorney focused on the Religious Land Use Act, which zoning and landmarking laws that substantially burden the religious exercise of churches.
A project like the shelter, designated as group living, would be allowed under the law if it had a church-related purpose, Burghdoff said.
鈥淚n this case, their primary use is allowed under the ordinance as church-related activities. And so that can allow a broad range of uses as the primary uses, if they are church-owned and operated and are part of that mission,鈥� Burghdoff said.
Kyle Fonville, an attorney representing Mercy Culture, said that the church was not there to ask for a change in zoning. He noted that, since 2004, Mercy Culture鈥檚 current zoning allows for 鈥渃hurch-related activities.鈥�
鈥淭he most important thing from a legal purpose, it has the same exact vision that the church has on Sunday morning and all of the other church-related activities,鈥� Fonville said. 鈥淲hich is to take these victims of sex trafficking and to lead them into daily personal encounters with God.鈥�
Alison Ashmore, an attorney the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association, asked zoning commissioners to consider whether The Justice Residences falls into the church-related category.
鈥淐hurch related does not mean merely church operated, or church run, that would allow essentially any activity, as long as it鈥檚 owned by the church or run by the church,鈥� Ashmore said. 鈥淚t would allow a grocery store, it would allow a restaurant, it would allow a casino, a homeless shelter, a methadone clinic 鈥� if there鈥檚 any activity allowed run by the church, the exceptions would absolutely swallow the rule and church related activities would be completely meaningless under Texas law.鈥�
Long-standing tensions between church congregants, Oakhurst neighbors
Fort Worth City Hall chambers were filled with colors of black and green.
Mercy Culture congregants and those in support of The Justice Residences packed the room, wearing black shirts sporting slogans that said 鈥淚t鈥檚 not political, it鈥檚 spiritual,鈥� 鈥淔reedom is coming鈥� and 鈥淢aking the crooked ways straight.鈥�
Oakhurst residents, and those in opposition to the location of the shelter, in shades of olive, fern and hunter green, sported ribbons pinned to their shirts and jackets to represent the historic neighborhood.
Ashley Kelly was one of several church congregants who showed up to the Nov. 13 meeting in support of the project.
Kelly, who has been going to Mercy Culture鈥檚 Fort Worth campus for four years, said it was the first time she鈥檚 physically showed up to a city meeting. She recalled a prayer she made to God Wednesday morning.
鈥淚 can speak. Do you want me to speak? Lord you decide,鈥� Kelly said during her prayer. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to be here because I felt like he put on my heart to be more involved.鈥�
Also in the crowd was congregant Lindsay Rivero. The mission of The Justice Residences was personal for her as a mother and a survivor of rape, she said.
鈥淭o have a home where we can house 100 women and help them get that healing and walk alongside them is just so important,鈥� Rivero said.
Though Mercy Culture leaders say they have made concessions to neighbors on parking and other elements of the plan, neighbors remain concerned. Libby Willis, who served as the neighborhood association鈥檚 president from 2005 to 2011, said safety remains her top concern.
The Oakhurst resident, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1987, says she plans to 鈥渇ollow through to the very end鈥� and see how council members will vote in December.
鈥淲e are not opposed to helping sex trafficked women at all,鈥� Willis said. 鈥淏ut for the women involved and for our neighbors, many of whom have small children鈥e just believe that it was not the right location.鈥�
December vote looms
Mercy Culture has two church campuses in Tarrant County, one in the Oakhurst neighborhood and another in east Fort Worth. The church has also opened up branches in Dallas and Waco.
A different location for The Justice Residences has not been considered, Fonville said.
鈥淚f this is a church activity, it鈥檚 being operated by the church. We have 5 acres on our property right now that can be carved off for this so there鈥檚 no consideration of going and buying another 5 acres,鈥� he said.
The property falls within City Council member Jeanette Martinez鈥檚 district. Neither the neighbors nor Mercy Culture supporters are sure how the December vote 鈥� and the battle over the shelter鈥檚 location 鈥� will conclude.
But Heather Schott is sure of one thing. When it came to questions about the decision to house 100 survivors, Schott鈥檚 answer was simple.
鈥淧rayer, the Lord said,鈥� Schott said at the podium. 鈥淲e obey.鈥�
Government accountability reporter Cecilia Lenzen contributed reporting to this article.
Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
This first appeared on and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.