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Elevation Church defends itself after breastfeeding social media post

By Paul Boyd
By Paul Boyd

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A mother from South Carolina went on Facebook Sunday night and posted, "I just got kicked out of church for breastfeeding with a cover on and directed to the bathroom. Shame on you Elevation."

The mother was referring to what she said happened at an Elevation Church campus located in Ballantyne.

She included a picture of a bathroom at the church and the post was shared by more than 1,000 people.

The woman said she drives one hour to attend Elevation every Sunday and indicated she's never had a problem breastfeeding in the church until this weekend.

The law is very clear. A mother can breastfeed anywhere she wants in public, including inside a church service.

An Elevation spokesperson told Channel 9 reporter Paul Boyd, who attends the church, that the church welcomes everyone to attend their services, including breastfeeding mothers.

Elevation is one of the fastest growing churches in the country.

The church offers child care during services and told Channel 9 it has several designated areas for nursing moms if they choose to use them.

"A volunteer had a conversation and felt both parties arrived at the same conclusion to exit mutually. We are sorry that this in any way offended anyone," according to spokesman Chunks Corbett.

"I'm not wanting to bash them at all,” the mother told Channel 9. “I do, however, think that everything was handled wrong."

Ariel Tauro is a breastfeeding advocate who saw the post in New Jersey. She scheduled a breastfeeding event at Elevation Church on Aug. 20 to raise awareness.

"You can see here we have this nursing mother's room. We have a video set up. We have this. We have that. But that's it. That's where it stops," Tauro said.

Tauro told Channel 9 she is not looking to disrupt the church service with her event.

Statement From Elevation Church: 

“We do not have a policy that nursing mothers can't be in the sanctuary

"A volunteer had a conversation and felt both parties arrived at the same conclusion to exit mutually. We are sorry that this in any way offended anyone. We welcome everyone and anyone to attend Elevation church.

We have several designated areas for nursing moms at Ballantyne specifically- one private to allow pumping and it's close to the auditorium for convenience and the other in the actual baby area with a TV to allow mothers to still be part of the worship experience.

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