Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/16pdf/15-577_khlp.pdf
Page Number: 28.0

2 

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH OF COLUMBIA, INC. v.
COMER 
SOTOMAYOR, J., dissenting
 

http://www.trinity-lcms.org/mission 
(quoting  Matthew 
28:18–20).  The Church’s religious beliefs include its desire
to  “associat[e]  with  the  [Trinity  Church  Child]  Learning 
Center.”    App.  to  Pet.  for  Cert.  101a.    Located  on  Church 
property,  the  Learning  Center  provides  daycare  and  pre-
school  for  about  “90  children  ages  two  to  kindergarten.” 
Id., at 100a. 

The  Learning  Center  serves  as  “a  ministry  of  the
Church  and  incorporates  daily  religion  and  developmen-
tally appropriate activities into . . . [its] program.”  Id., at 
101a.  In  this  way,  “[t]hrough  the  Learning  Center,  the 
Church  teaches  a  Christian  world  view  to  children  of 
members of the Church, as well as children of non-member 
residents” of the area.  Ibid.  These activities represent the 
Church’s  “sincere religious belief . . . to use [the Learning 
Center] to teach the Gospel to children of its members, as
well to bring the Gospel message to non-members.”  Ibid. 

The  Learning  Center’s  facilities  include  a  playground, 
the  unlikely  source  of  this  dispute.    The  Church  provides 
the  playground  and  other  “safe,  clean,  and  attractive” 
facilities “in conjunction with an education program struc-
tured  to  allow  a  child  to  grow  spiritually,  physically,  so-
cially,  and  cognitively.”    Ibid.    This  case  began  in  2012
when the Church applied for funding to upgrade the play-
ground’s  pea  gravel  and  grass  surface  through  Missouri’s 
Scrap  Tire  Program,  which  provides  grants  for  the  pur-
chase  and  installation  of  recycled  tire  material  to  resur-
face  playgrounds.  The  Church  sought  $20,000  for  a 
$30,580  project  to  modernize  the  playground,  part  of  its
effort  to  gain  state  accreditation  for  the  Learning  Center 
as an early childhood education program.  Missouri denied 
the  Church  funding  based  on  Article  I,  §7,  of  its  State
Constitution,  which  prohibits  the  use  of  public  funds  “in
aid of any church, sect, or denomination of religion.”