A Tulsa pastor says a 13-year effort to feed people experiencing homelessness is now in jeopardy after city security and police told him he could no longer hold weekly picnics at Veterans Park without a permit.
KJRH reporter Stef Manchen said Pastor Greg Bilbruck, leader of Light of the World Christian Fellowship, has gathered at the park every Sunday for more than a decade, offering meals, prayer, and companionship to people who often congregate near downtown.
Bilbruck said the gatherings had never caused a problem until several weeks ago, when a security guard approached and told him the group was not allowed to serve food there without city approval.
The dispute has since expanded into a larger argument over whether the gatherings count as ordinary picnics in a public park or organized food distribution requiring permits and coordination.
A 13-Year Sunday Tradition
Bilbruck told Manchen that his mission has always been simple: feed people, welcome everyone, and treat those experiencing homelessness like members of a community rather than a problem to be removed.
“God was clear, always feed a meal, always welcome everybody,” he said.
Veterans Park became a practical location because it is close to downtown and familiar to many of the people the church serves.
For 13 years, Bilbruck said, volunteers arrived each Sunday with food and spent time eating, praying, and talking with those who came.
He described the events as picnics rather than formal outreach operations, emphasizing that people sat together as friends and family would.
That distinction is central to his frustration. From his perspective, he is not running a commercial event or taking over the park, but sharing a meal in a public space paid for by taxpayers.
Security Guard Says a Permit Is Required
Bilbruck said the situation changed when a city security guard approached during one of the weekly gatherings and told him the event could not continue without a permit.
According to the pastor, the guard initially described the location as private property.
Bilbruck challenged that explanation.
“This is a public park, paid for by taxpayers,” he said. “This is Veterans Park. I’m a veteran.”
He asked why he should be allowed to eat there with family and friends but not with people who happened to be homeless.
The church continued with its gathering that week. Bilbruck said the same guard returned the following Sunday and took photographs but did not stop the event.
On July 12, however, Bilbruck arrived to find the guard accompanied by two police officers.
He said homeless people had already been cleared from the area and squad cars were occupying several parking spaces, making it harder for others to join the gathering.
The guard allegedly told him that the problem was not simply having a picnic, but “distributing food.”
City Says It Must Keep Parks Safe and Accessible
The City of Tulsa declined an interview but provided KJRH with a statement saying it works with individuals and organizations to obtain permits required under local ordinances.
City officials said they appreciated the compassion of people serving those experiencing homelessness and shared that commitment.
They also said Tulsa has a responsibility to keep parks safe, clean, and accessible to everyone while carrying out Safe Move Tulsa, the city’s broader homelessness outreach strategy.
“Addressing homelessness requires compassion and coordination,” the statement said.
That explanation suggests the city views repeated food service as something more organized than a private gathering, potentially bringing concerns about sanitation, crowd size, trash, liability, and consistent use of public space.
Those are legitimate issues for any city to manage. Parks cannot be treated as though no rules apply simply because an activity has a charitable purpose.
At the same time, the city’s response did not clearly explain which specific ordinance Bilbruck had violated or why the gatherings had apparently been allowed for 13 years before enforcement suddenly began.
Permit Guidelines Appear to Raise Questions
Manchen reviewed information from Tulsa’s Special Events Office and found language listing exemptions from permit requirements.
Among those exemptions were activities conducted entirely within City of Tulsa public parks.
That language appears to conflict with the message Bilbruck said he received from the security guard and police.
It is possible that another rule applies specifically to food distribution, recurring organized gatherings, or events serving a larger number of people, but the report did not establish that distinction.
This is where the city owes the public a clearer answer.
If the pastor needs a permit, officials should identify the exact rule, explain the application process, and state whether any fee, insurance requirement, or health regulation applies.
A vague instruction to “get a permit” is not enough when the city’s own published guidance appears to suggest that park-based activities may be exempt.
Bilbruck said the sudden enforcement made him believe the real concern was not paperwork but the visibility of homeless people in the park.
“Let’s tell the truth here,” he said. “This is about an eyesore.”
Pastor Says Homeless Residents Were Driven Away
Bilbruck said he was especially troubled by seeing homeless people cleared out before the Sunday gathering.
He argued that city leaders cannot claim to support people experiencing homelessness while pushing away those who provide them with food, care, and familiar human contact.
“This isn’t helping them by running off people that love them, feed them, care for them, make them feel like a family member,” he said.
His criticism gets at a common tension in city homelessness policy.
Municipal governments often say they want coordinated services rather than informal encampments or unregulated outreach, while churches and volunteers argue that official systems can become too slow, distant, or focused on moving people out of sight.
Both sides may be trying to solve real problems, but the person waiting for a meal can easily be lost in the disagreement.
A weekly picnic may not address housing, addiction, mental health, or long-term employment, but it can still provide food and a dependable relationship.
Those benefits should not be dismissed merely because they are informal.
The Meaning of a Public Park
Bilbruck’s case also raises a broader question about who public spaces are for.
Parks are meant to be shared, which means cities have a duty to prevent any one group from making them unsafe or unavailable to others.
But public ownership also means access should not depend on whether a gathering is socially comfortable or visually appealing.
If families can bring meals, churches can hold casual gatherings, and community groups can meet without permits, then officials must explain why feeding homeless people crosses a different legal line.
The answer may lie in scale, frequency, food-handling rules, or organized service, but it should not rest on who is being served.
Selective enforcement would create the appearance that the city is regulating people rather than conduct.
That is precisely why transparent, evenly applied rules matter.
Bilbruck Says He Will Keep Coming Back
Even if he is no longer permitted to bring food, Bilbruck said he plans to continue returning to Veterans Park every Sunday.
He intends to offer prayer, conversation, and a sense of community to people he now considers family.
That decision shows the mission has never been only about handing out meals.
For Bilbruck, sitting beside someone, knowing their name, and treating them with dignity is part of the work.
The city may ultimately have legal grounds to require a permit, and the pastor may need to meet reasonable health or event rules. But after 13 years without conflict, officials should be able to resolve the issue without turning a long-running act of charity into a confrontation involving security guards and police.
The most practical solution would be a direct meeting, a clear written explanation of the rules, and a simple path that allows the picnics to continue safely.
Until that happens, the dispute will remain larger than a permit application.
It will continue to raise the uncomfortable question Bilbruck has placed before Tulsa: whether a public park is still fully public when sharing a meal with homeless neighbors requires special permission.
Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.
