Several local mosques have recently been embroiled in local battles with building inspectors, zoning boards, and planning council. Churches, synagogues, and other houses of worship also often run into difficulties with local laws and regulation governing their buildings and property. On April 10 the LICC presented a program on what congregations need to know about the law at 1st United Methodist Church in Amityville.

“When we saw the struggles that some mosques were having with their neighbors and local governments it reminded us of the difficulties faced by many churches,” explains the Rev. Tom Goodhue, Executive Director of the Long Island Council of Churches. “Houses of worship often have no idea how to deal with local rules and regulations, and they often do not realize how many other congregations face the same challenges that they do. As congregations seek to share their facilities with other houses of worship or with cell phone companies, they can easily run afoul of the law. We want to help them avoid these problems.”

On April 10, four legal experts described how to avoid unnecessary pain and agony in dealing with local and state regulations. Two from the Nassau County Bar Association, Charlene Thompson and A. Thomas Levin, explained how governing entities review applications for permits and requests from faith-based initiatives for funding. Alan Berkowitz from the Attorney General’s office, described the religious corporation law and state laws governing not-for-profits and property transfers. Howard Cappell from Cappell, Barnett, Matalon & Schoenfeld, a lawyer for both the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, discussed what you need to know about your congregation's governance rules, the differences between rent, lease, and use agreements, and how to know when your congregation needs a lawyer.