I was hired as the Pastor of San Lorenzo Baptist Church, 180 Lewelling Blvd, San Lorenzo, in March of 2005. I am the sixth pastor since the church was founded in September of 1946. My focus, when I became pastor of this church, was to follow the teachings of the Bible and serve God’s people as they worship and serve the one true God.
In January of 2010 I received a letter from the IRS. It informed me that San Lorenzo Baptist Church was being audited for political activity that would violate our 501(c).3 standing. The letter was signed by Lois Lerner. I sent the letter to my denomination so they would be aware of it. In April of 2010, an armed man (he had a visible gun), identifying himself as from the IRS, presented a warrant to search for political activity. The warrant was signed by Lois Lerner. The man demanded entrance. When he came in he measured the sanctuary and took pictures. He walked around for a while, measuring and taking pictures and then left. This was my first interaction with the government my church, as a pastor.
In October of 2010, I received a tax bill from Alameda County. Churches do not pay property tax, by law. Alameda County had removed our standing as a church and we were now considered a commercial business and had to pay property tax. Every year, since 2010 I have received letters, penalties, tax bills and declarations stating that we are not a church, but some sort of political or commercial organization, and therefore not tax exempt. No proof has ever been offered as to why this is happening. No one in the government can produce sales receipts for our business or employees for our business. No one has ever been able to tell me what business I am running, just that I am running a business and therefore must pay property tax.
Around 2013, a man from the Alameda Country Building and Zoning department came to my church and demanded entrance. He informed me that our quarterly potluck was illegal and that we would be finned $1,500 per participant. He said that we needed to pay for a food service license, issued by the county. I threw him out and went immediately to the county offices and had them look up our original church charter from 1946. In the long list of allowed activities was listed potlucks and church dinners.
Since 2010, government people have come into San Lorenzo Baptist Church, threatening, snooping and walking around. Twice Kristi L. Roy from the Tax Exemption Dept of Alameda County has come to my church. She has had me open every door. This means every Sunday school room, every closet, every storage room and practice room. She entered the rooms and took pictures and notes and measurements.
With four visits by government people, no one has ever found a business or anything that is not allowed in a church. Nothing has been found, yet the county persists that this is a commercial enterprise and not a church.
Because they are disallowing the entire building as a church, this means that are saying the entire building is a business and no church meets here. The law states that if there is a closet or a room where some non-church actives occur, then property tax is paid on that closet or that room. By declaring that the entire building is used as a commercial business, is saying that no church activities go on here, ever.
In other words, Alameda County is calling this church a fraud and calling me a religious charlatan. They are saying that I am not doing any church or pastor duties, but I am spending all my time running some business that is for profit. For thirteen years I have done nothing but run a commercial enterprise. The church is a facade whose only purpose is to fool the county and gain fraudulent tax-free status. This is offensive, blasphemous and evil. For a government organization to come into church, evaluate what we are doing and declare it non-church activities is straight from the pit of hell.
This church building is a holy place where God’s holy people come to worship in holiness. It is a sacrosanct building dedicated to the glory of God. For a God-hating government employee to say that we are not what we claim to be is disgusting and horrific. This building has been a church and only a church for the last 71 years and it will be used for church activities until Christ comes back.
With regard to our activities, I saw how the county and IRS was going to treat us back in 2010. I made it a point to communicate opening with Alameda County every time we changed our schedule or added something.
When we added a marquee sign, I called to county to see if it would change our tax-free status. When we started doing a chili feed to advertise our church to the neighborhood, I called the county to ask for permission. On both the sign and the chili feed, I was given permission.
Many years ago, a neighborhood family wanted to rent our hall for a quinceañera. I called the county and I was given these parameters.
1. It could not be regular, like every month or every week
2. It had to be different people/family every time
And that was it. If we followed these 2 parameters, it would be called a fundraising activity. Trusting the information I got from the county, we now rent our hall 3-4 times a year for quinceañeras, baptisms, birthdays and weddings. I told the county what we wanted to do and they gave permission before we did it.
Last year, Narcotics anonymous called me and they wanted to have a Saturday morning meeting, every Saturday. As is my practice, I called the county. I was asked if they were part of the national organization and if they were chartered by the national organization. I asked and found that they were. I was asked by the county if I was going to charge them rent. I said that I was not. I was told that they could meet in my church and that I did not have to list them on the annual form because they were their own tax exempt organization. Therefore I followed the information given by the county.
I have read the policy and law governing church’s tax exempt status. I have given the law to people in my church and to a lawyer and we all have read it many times. I have called the county over 30 times in the last 8 years telling them what I am doing. I keep no secrets from anyone and we are not breaking any law. I post my weekly sermons on the internet for all to see. I post the church calendar on the internet for all to see what we are doing. I have the church website and phone number on our sign. We are reachable and observable. Government people inspect our building every 2 years and they have found nothing.
Every time we do anything, I ask permission of the county. They have counted everything we do as fundraising, which churches are allowed to do. The county knows we have potlucks, chili feeds, that we rent our hall periodically and that we have legal 12-steps groups that come here. They know it and they have given permission for it. So what is the problem?
Israel Padilla (510) 272-3770, is the latest God-hating, government employee who is coming against San Lorenzo Baptist Church. He has told me clearly that we are not a church, have never been a church and are a commercial enterprise, operating a business for profit. He has demanded that we pay full property tax for this year and the past eight years.
This is clearly harassment of a legal church from the government. It is illegal. For a government to say that we are not a church and to tax us out of existence is inhibiting the free exercise of religion. It has been going on, every year, for eight years. The government has all the power to shut down this church for fraud and not paying taxes and it looks like that is what they want to do. This is evil and must stop immediately.
In January of 2010 I received a letter from the IRS. It informed me that San Lorenzo Baptist Church was being audited for political activity that would violate our 501(c).3 standing. The letter was signed by Lois Lerner. I sent the letter to my denomination so they would be aware of it. In April of 2010, an armed man (he had a visible gun), identifying himself as from the IRS, presented a warrant to search for political activity. The warrant was signed by Lois Lerner. The man demanded entrance. When he came in he measured the sanctuary and took pictures. He walked around for a while, measuring and taking pictures and then left. This was my first interaction with the government my church, as a pastor.
In October of 2010, I received a tax bill from Alameda County. Churches do not pay property tax, by law. Alameda County had removed our standing as a church and we were now considered a commercial business and had to pay property tax. Every year, since 2010 I have received letters, penalties, tax bills and declarations stating that we are not a church, but some sort of political or commercial organization, and therefore not tax exempt. No proof has ever been offered as to why this is happening. No one in the government can produce sales receipts for our business or employees for our business. No one has ever been able to tell me what business I am running, just that I am running a business and therefore must pay property tax.
Around 2013, a man from the Alameda Country Building and Zoning department came to my church and demanded entrance. He informed me that our quarterly potluck was illegal and that we would be finned $1,500 per participant. He said that we needed to pay for a food service license, issued by the county. I threw him out and went immediately to the county offices and had them look up our original church charter from 1946. In the long list of allowed activities was listed potlucks and church dinners.
Since 2010, government people have come into San Lorenzo Baptist Church, threatening, snooping and walking around. Twice Kristi L. Roy from the Tax Exemption Dept of Alameda County has come to my church. She has had me open every door. This means every Sunday school room, every closet, every storage room and practice room. She entered the rooms and took pictures and notes and measurements.
With four visits by government people, no one has ever found a business or anything that is not allowed in a church. Nothing has been found, yet the county persists that this is a commercial enterprise and not a church.Because they are disallowing the entire building as a church, this means that are saying the entire building is a business and no church meets here. The law states that if there is a closet or a room where some non-church actives occur, then property tax is paid on that closet or that room. By declaring that the entire building is used as a commercial business, is saying that no church activities go on here, ever.
In other words, Alameda County is calling this church a fraud and calling me a religious charlatan. They are saying that I am not doing any church or pastor duties, but I am spending all my time running some business that is for profit. For thirteen years I have done nothing but run a commercial enterprise. The church is a facade whose only purpose is to fool the county and gain fraudulent tax-free status. This is offensive, blasphemous and evil. For a government organization to come into church, evaluate what we are doing and declare it non-church activities is straight from the pit of hell.
This church building is a holy place where God’s holy people come to worship in holiness. It is a sacrosanct building dedicated to the glory of God. For a God-hating government employee to say that we are not what we claim to be is disgusting and horrific. This building has been a church and only a church for the last 71 years and it will be used for church activities until Christ comes back.
With regard to our activities, I saw how the county and IRS was going to treat us back in 2010. I made it a point to communicate opening with Alameda County every time we changed our schedule or added something.
When we added a marquee sign, I called to county to see if it would change our tax-free status. When we started doing a chili feed to advertise our church to the neighborhood, I called the county to ask for permission. On both the sign and the chili feed, I was given permission.
Many years ago, a neighborhood family wanted to rent our hall for a quinceañera. I called the county and I was given these parameters.
1. It could not be regular, like every month or every week
2. It had to be different people/family every time
And that was it. If we followed these 2 parameters, it would be called a fundraising activity. Trusting the information I got from the county, we now rent our hall 3-4 times a year for quinceañeras, baptisms, birthdays and weddings. I told the county what we wanted to do and they gave permission before we did it.
Last year, Narcotics anonymous called me and they wanted to have a Saturday morning meeting, every Saturday. As is my practice, I called the county. I was asked if they were part of the national organization and if they were chartered by the national organization. I asked and found that they were. I was asked by the county if I was going to charge them rent. I said that I was not. I was told that they could meet in my church and that I did not have to list them on the annual form because they were their own tax exempt organization. Therefore I followed the information given by the county.
I have read the policy and law governing church’s tax exempt status. I have given the law to people in my church and to a lawyer and we all have read it many times. I have called the county over 30 times in the last 8 years telling them what I am doing. I keep no secrets from anyone and we are not breaking any law. I post my weekly sermons on the internet for all to see. I post the church calendar on the internet for all to see what we are doing. I have the church website and phone number on our sign. We are reachable and observable. Government people inspect our building every 2 years and they have found nothing.
Every time we do anything, I ask permission of the county. They have counted everything we do as fundraising, which churches are allowed to do. The county knows we have potlucks, chili feeds, that we rent our hall periodically and that we have legal 12-steps groups that come here. They know it and they have given permission for it. So what is the problem?
Israel Padilla (510) 272-3770, is the latest God-hating, government employee who is coming against San Lorenzo Baptist Church. He has told me clearly that we are not a church, have never been a church and are a commercial enterprise, operating a business for profit. He has demanded that we pay full property tax for this year and the past eight years.
This is clearly harassment of a legal church from the government. It is illegal. For a government to say that we are not a church and to tax us out of existence is inhibiting the free exercise of religion. It has been going on, every year, for eight years. The government has all the power to shut down this church for fraud and not paying taxes and it looks like that is what they want to do. This is evil and must stop immediately.
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