Living Water Church of God v. Charter Township of Meridian

**What Happened:** Living Water Church of God wanted to build a large church building (over 25,000 square feet) in Charter Township of Meridian and also operate a school there. The township denied their request for a special permit, saying the building was too big under local rules. The church sued, claiming the township was discriminating against them because of their religion and violating federal laws that protect religious land use. **What the Court Decided:** The court gave a mixed ruling. The church won on one issue - the court agreed the township wrongly denied their permit to operate a school. However, the church lost on the main issue. The court upheld the township's decision to deny the permit for a building over 25,000 square feet, finding that the size restriction was a legitimate local rule that applied to everyone equally. **Why This Matters for Workers:** While this case was about a church rather than a typical workplace, it shows that religious organizations still must follow the same local building and zoning rules as other employers. Workers at religious organizations should know that these employers can't always claim religious exemptions from generally applicable laws and regulations.