OCEAN CITY, Md. — An Ocean City church has been fined thousands for operating what town officials say is a non-permitted housing shelter.
Pastor Jill Williams of St. Paul’s by-the-Sea has gone live on Facebook, recording George Bendler, Ocean City's Director of Planning & Community Development, issuing the church a zoning citation.
In the recording Williams reads Bendler a Bible verse before signing the citation.
According to Williams, the church which is located on Baltimore Avenue, has sheltered 1,679 guests while feeding lunch to 4,826 people since launching its Shelter-By-the-Sea program on March 31, 2026.
So far Ocean City has issued the church three citations totaling $3,000.
The church has since started a campaign to help fund the shelter, already raising more than $32,160. St Paul's says it costs about $200,000 annually to operate and staff the shelter.
Shelter-By-the-Sea was created inside St. Paul's parish hall months after the Town ordered the church to remove tents on its property that were used as sleeping spaces for the homeless.
Ocean City Manager Terence J. McGean provided WMAR-2 News with this statement explaining why the fines are being assessed.
“We recognize the sensitivity of this situation however, the Town has a responsibility to ensure that all facilities, regardless of ownership or purpose, comply with established zoning, building, and safety codes.
In this case, the change of use of the building requires proper approvals and must meet specific requirements, including those related to occupancy and zoning. These standards are not unique to this situation. They are applied consistently to all properties in Ocean City to protect the health, safety, and welfare of both the occupants and the broader community.
We have a duty to ensure that any organization in our jurisdiction conducts operations in a safe, lawful, and code compliant manner and we look forward to a swift resolution to this matter.”
Williams, meanwhile, vowed to keep the shelter open against the town's demands.
