St. Paul’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church Faces New Deadlines From OC
OCEAN CITY, Md. – St. Paul’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Ocean City says they are facing new deadlines from the Town of Ocean City, demanding their indoor shelter cease operations by Jun. 8.
As WMDT previously reported, in May 2025, Worcester County ruled that people could not sleep on public property, and as a result, many sought shelter from local churches. Reverend Jill Williams of Saint Paul’s said the church had supported people for months, but the Town of Ocean City determined that tents on the property violated zoning rules and had to be removed by the end of this March. The church complied, establishing an indoor, low-barrier emergency shelter ministry called Shelter By-the-Sea.
Yet, a new zoning violation has been issued to the church. Following an inspection conducted by the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office on Apr. 29., the Town of Ocean City found that the barrack-style sleeping arrangements in the church’s Assembly Hall violates Town regulations. Additionally, the complaint states that the amount of plumbing fixtures on site are not suitable to serve the intended occupancy of the space. As a result, the church has been told all shelter operations must cease by 9:00 a.m. on Jun. 8.
Additionally, ministry leaders say the shelter has been successful, with a total of 892 guests over the past 42 nights. The shelter reportedly averages about 27 guests nightly, but the number fluctuates. Leaders maintain that since opening indoors, the shelter has worked closely with community agencies and received referrals from the Homeless Outreach Team, healthcare workers, and law enforcement officers seeking safe placement for individuals with nowhere else to go.
On Tuesday, May 12, the church’s attorney contacted the Town stating that the shelter had no intention of ceasing operations.
“We want to be absolutely clear: we will not turn our homeless neighbors out onto the street,” church Reverend Jill Williams in an open letter. “Ocean City is known as a welcoming resort town. We believe it can also be known as a compassionate community that does not punish churches for caring for vulnerable people in moments of crisis.”
WMDT will continue to report on this story as updates are made available.
