DELAND — Two downtown business owners clashed with members of a street-preaching church this week at the DeLand City Commission meeting, saying the demonstrations are chasing away customers.
Members of The Bible Baptist Church in Glenwood flock to the corner of New York Avenue and Woodland Boulevard and preach each Friday evening.
The preachers have been a fixture in DeLand for more than two decades, but a few nearby business owners have said the situation has gotten worse recently. A small group of counter-protesters has begun to show up on Fridays as well, though some business owners have said they’re not as loud or aggressive as the church members.