JERSEY SHORE, NEW JERSEY: Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is a Methodist Heritage organization that was issued violations for banning people from the Ocean Grove beach on Sunday mornings. The organization is now suing in an attempt to maintain the restriction.

The Association filed the lawsuit in Monmouth County Superior Court on October 2, against two critics of its rules and up to 100 others they claim wrongly entered the beach, reported NJ Advance Media.

The group uses chains and padlocks to block access to its beach from the boardwalk between 9 am and noon on Sundays throughout the summer. The action is an attempt to maintain the religious history of the town, which was founded in 1869 by Methodist ministers.

"The mission of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, rooted in its Methodist Heritage, is to provide opportunities for spiritual birth, growth, and renewal through worship, educational, cultural, and recreational programs for persons of all ages in a Christian seaside setting," according to their website.

What does the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association want?

The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association has moved to court, asking that the judge rule the ban as “a valid and lawful practice that satisfies the public interest of reasonable access to the sea” and “a lawful accommodation” of its interests.

“The slight limitation on physical presence on the beachfront on the Lord’s Day is consistent with the Plaintiff’s Mission to build and maintain a beautiful seaside community to serve as a place for meditation, reflection, and renewal during the Summer months,” said the group, according to court papers obtained by NJ Advance Media.

It also said, “The ability to reflect upon an empty and quiet beachfront during this limited time is at the core of (the group’s) very creation, existence, and uninterrupted private ownership of the Ocean Grove Beach front and adjoining lands.”

When was Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association issued violations?

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection sent the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association a violation notice on September 14. The group was asked to provide open access to the beach via the boardwalk, which was blocked with chains and padlocks.

Citing New Jersey’s Coastal Area Facility Review Act, the DEP gave the association 10 days to take action, which included agreeing to remove the chain and padlock barriers.