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This press release was published today, August 16, 2018 to various news organizations in the Bay Area


Press release Our Church is under fire!

The San Lorenzo Baptist Church for the past eight years has been the subject of harassment by Alameda County agencies. They have been doing this by using tactics from different agencies such as threatening removal of tax exempt status because they rent their church six times a year to the Spanish community for quinceanera celebration (this is when a 15-year-old girl is brought under God's care.) This celebration is considered very sacred by the Spanish community. This church is shared by two other Spanish-speaking congregations. Alameda County has used different agencies such as: the building department, health department, sanitation department and the state tax board over the years because they feel the property the church sits on would be better used for housing which would include a higher tax income as suggested by its principles. One example of the Alameda County tactics is when they proposed beautification and improvement on the Lewelling Boulevard. All the property owners were notified and sent plans. There were public meetings. Rev. Michael responded with a petition and comments concerning ingress and egress.

Instead the community got an island that blocks their entrance which is inconvenient for the congregation.

This is outrageous behavior by those who claim to serve and protect. What Alameda County is doing is illegal, under our Constitution we are allowed to worship freely and at a place of our choice especially one that has been a place of worship for SEVEN decades! This Church the San Lorenzo Baptist church located at 180 Lewelling Blvd San Lorenzo has been an institution that is grandfathered in as far as zoning and permitting. The idea that the use of the health code and property tax rules to force the sale of the property for a (“better use“), is outrageous and grievously violates our right to worship. What better service to the public can a church provide? It provides moral teaching. This church provides a sanctuary for people in need. This Church provides a safe haven for those in need of guidance. Churches also provide a meeting place for the community a place where people can come together and discuss and find sanctuary from the chaos of the world. This church provides a realignment of our values by its metaphoric teachings of the Bible reminding us of the values that hold our society together.

This is our place of worship!

How dare the government pick on a church because it has a small congregation at present!! They are thinking it doesn't matter that this is a small congregation. They are putting aside the fact that people depend on this church for a place of worship which provides spiritual and personal safety. Therefore, they are harassing and threatening to remove it’s tax exempt status, and by the use of building and health code inspectors to force the church into submission. We are astonished that they would even suggest that the church should be sold for housing. This is so outrageous; especially to satisfy some housing quota they need to fill so they can get more money from government funding and property taxes. This is immoral and outrageous behavior on behalf of our elected officials, whose slogan is (“To Serve and Protect”.) It is time that our government and its employees take a Moral pause!!! We think that they should re-examine this outrageous behavior!!

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