Unequal enforcement of the law

Every church in America does fund raising.  Some do bake sales, other do car washes and many churches only have their building to use so they rent it out for weddings and funerals and other sacred events.  Most  churches do not charge rent, but accepts donations.  Yet when brownies are being sold, a fixed price is stated, that is usually not the case with building rentals.  

Alameda County has a policy for what churches can and cannot do with their building.  I read it and had many others in my congregation read it.  All of us lay people found that it was acceptable to rent our portions of our building for sacred events.  I handed the policy to a lawyer and within 30 seconds he found that the policy clearly stated we could not, under any circumstances, rent out our hall for sacred ceremonies.  Therefore, it is clear that the policy of Alameda County is intentionally vague to trap people into breaking the law.  A small church like ours does not have any lawyers or accountants, we have to hire them.  Larger churches in the county have lawyers in the congregation who can help for free.

The point is this:  for decades, churches all over Almeda county have been renting their halls and sanctuaries for weddings and other sacred events.  My church came to the notice of the county because someone posted pictures of their event and referenced my church.  The county people are coming down on me and my church hard and ignoring all the other churches that are doing the same thing.  This is unequal application under the law and this is wrong.  If the county cannot universally enforce their vague policy across the board, then they should not enforce it at all.  Pick a church that is obviously small, broke and unable to defend themselves shows that the county is playing favorites with how they enforce the law.  They will only go after churches that cannot fight back.

Recently the was a story in the San Leandro Times about the county coming against my church.  I have received dozens of emails of support from people telling me that their church rents out their halls.  My only conclusion is that the county is looking for easy notches in their belt and will never go after the large or politically connected churches in the county because those fights would take years.  I know that the major of Oakland goes to a church that the county will never touch because anyone who goes after that church will lose their job.