Churches like to skirt the law and for most, I don’t have sympathy.
Churches are subject to a higher law. Municipalities should just butt out! Freedom of religion as protected by the constitution affords an elevated right to assemble and worship without being encumbered by petty rules and regulations. Churches have rights which businesses do not enjoy.
so give us an example of the laws churches like to skirt.
Free speech a stupid pesky amendment and free assembly....in your world you can regulate it to death and pretend you are still free.
They were meeting in the coffee shop once a week. If I ran a Dungeons & Dragons gaming group, and we decided to rent a restaurant's "party" room on Sunday mornings, it would not be anybody's business. WE would not need a business license, the establishment we held our meetings in would have one.