CRAMPED CHURCH NEEDS FUNDS TO RELOCATE.

Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer

Forced to shrink its quarters to meet fire safety codes, the city's largest Latino church must raise about $60,000 to establish a larger house of worship.

Located inside a rented building at 350 E. Easy St., Iglesia de Dios lost space for at least 20 congregation members when church leaders closed a portion of the building last month to meet fire safety regulations, said Associate Pastor Roberto Torres.

Now limited under code to house 180 people, church leaders are seeking an alternative place for the more than 200-member congregation made up of mostly low-income, Spanish-speaking families.

The money will help pay for moving and potential renovation costs, Torres said. The church already has saved about $40,000, and projects the final moving cost to be at least $100,000.

Raising the funds won't be easy, Torres said. But turning people away is not an option.

``This is a very difficult thing for us,'' said Torres. ``People come here to be a part of the church - which ones do I choose to tell to go home? Who do I choose to say, `There's not enough room for you today.' They'll wonder, `Why me?' I will not cut them out.''

Concern over the church's safety was raised during a Sunday service last month, when an anonymous caller reported smoke coming from the building, said Ventura County Fire Department officials. After interrupting the service to check on the report, fire officials found no fire. Instead, they uncovered code violations.

Fire exit signs, panic door handles and fire extinguishers were on the partial list of repairs later compiled by city building and planning officials, Ventura County fire safety inspectors and a representative of the Simi Valley Police Department.

Church leaders have since met all safety requirements, such as removing hazardous wiring and creating an emergency exit system, said Gaddis Farmer, the city's deputy director building official.

``They've worked very well with the city's building and safety division and Ventura County Fire Department,'' Farmer said. ``It's a much safer and better facility now.''

However, the church's cramped quarters grew worse when they had to close a second-story storage space and pile its contents in a makeshift lobby where congregation members greet one another before and after services, Torres said.

``We did everything they asked - the things they required, we did it,'' Torres said. ``We closed the storage room upstairs. Now, there's not enough room for us.''

A handful of local churches have offered their facility as an alternative site, Torres said. However, most are too small to house his congregation.

He believes a higher source will help them find a new location.

``I trust God - He will help us get through this,'' Torres said.

Church leaders have been unaware of the violations since they began services four years ago, Torres said.

The facility was inspected once last year, said Torres, who was only told to keep the church's four doors unlocked during business hours.

``If they would have told us then about the things we needed to fix, we would have fixed it,'' Torres said.

City officials found no record that the inspection took place.

The church may have gone unnoticed in the past because of its modest location, fire officials noted. The industrial building contains 12 rental spaces - two of which are occupied by Iglesia de Dios.

The church originally rented one space in the building, with fewer than 50 occupants, said building owner Burton Michaelson. At the time, church leaders did not plan on making improvements to the site, Michaelson said.

Two years ago, the church rented out a second space.

In an industrial building, different fire safety codes must be met when occupancy rises above 50 within a certain space, Michaelson said.

The church must next obtain a special use permit to house church services inside the industrial space, Farmer said. Though city building officials have not imposed a deadline, they expect to hear from church leaders within the next 30 days, Farmer said.

TO HELP

Donations to Iglesia de Dios - Church of God - can be mailed to Associate Pastor Roberto Torres, 1582 Carmen Drive, Simi Valley, CA 93065. Please make checks out to Iglesia de Dios.

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