Attorney Dean Broyles of The Western Center For Law & Policy is representing the couple who wish to remain anonymous until a demand letter can be given to the county..

According to Broyles, the county official asked “'Do you have a regular meeting in your home? Do you say amen? Do you pray? 'Do you say praise the Lord?”

The pastor’s wife answered yes to all of these.

Broyles said a few days later the couple received a written warning that listed "unlawful use of land" and told them to "stop religious assembly or apply for a major use permit" - a permit that often involves traffic and environmental studies, compliance with parking and sidewalk regulations, and can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

If the do not obtain the permit, the county official reportedly warned, the couple will be charged escalating fines beginning at $100, then $200, $500, $1000, "and then it will get ugly."

"For churches and religious assemblies there's big parking concerns, there's environmental impact concerns when you have hundreds or thousands of people gathering. But this is a different situation, and we believe that the application of the religious assembly principles to this Bible study is certainly misplaced," said Broyles.

Broyles also said this case has broader implications.

"If the county thinks they can shut down groups of 10 or 15 Christians meeting in a home, what about people who meet regularly at home for poker night? What about people who meet for Tupperware parties? What about people who are meeting to watch baseball games on a regular basis and support the Chargers?" Broyles asked.

Broyles and his clients plan to give the County their demand letter that states by enforcing this regulation the county is violating their First Amendment right to freely exercise their religion this week. If the County refuses to release the pastor and his wife from obtaining the permit, they will consider a lawsuit in federal court.

In an interview with WND, Broyles said "The First Amendment, in part, reads, 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. And that's the key part: 'prohibiting the free exercise.' We believe this is a substantial government burden on the free exercise of religion."

"The Western Center for Law and Policy is troubled by this draconian move to suppress home Bible studies," said the law center in a statement. "If the current trends in our nation continue, churches may be forced underground. If that happens, believers will once again be forced to meet in homes. If homes are already closed by the government to assembly and worship, where then will Christians meet?"

In the meantime, Broyles told WND the pastor and his wife are continuing to hold the Bible study in their home.

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