The decision came after more than two hours of testimony where church members and residents from the nearby Oakhurst Neighborhood traded barbs and

Political divisions and concerns over a legal battle punctuated heated debate over whether the church could build housing for trafficking survivors.

Mercy Culture is threatening to sue individual Fort Worth City Council members and city staff if a proposed human trafficking victim shelter isn’t approved at the Dec. 10 council meeting, according to a demand letter obtained by the Star-Telegram.

Mercy Culture Church, located in east Fort Worth, wants to build a shelter for survivors of human trafficking called the Justice Reform Discipleship Center.