Judge to hear arguments on fate of Merced Presbyterian church

It's NOT what you might first think. The Modesto Bee has more details:

"The idea at Central Presbyterian Church in Merced seemed like a good one — replace an aging sanctuary with a new facility to accommodate the growing congregation.

After years of discussion, parishioners voted 266-75 in January to take down their 1916 sanctuary and build a new one, as well as upgrade a neighboring classroom structure.

But change is often hard, and some congregants formed a nonprofit group, Sanctuary Merced, to oppose the issue. On May 5, the Merced City Council voted 4-3 to declare the church building a local historic resource, which means that tearing down the sanctuary is nearly impossible."