A wedding chapel is not a church, though ordained ministers often preside at the marriages. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is insisting that two ministers who work for a wedding chapel must perform gay marriages. If they don’t, they will be in violation of the city’s non-discrimination ordinance, which means a penalty of up to 180 days in jail and fines of $1,000 per day.
So should a church exemption apply to a minister without a congregation? Or should religious exemptions apply to individuals regardless of affiliation?
From Amanda Casanova, Idaho Pastors Face Jail, Thousands in Fines for Refusing to Officiate Gay Weddings:
Two Christian pastors in Idaho have filed a lawsuit and asked the courts to temporarily restrain city officials from making them perform same-sex wedding ceremonies. Donald Knapp and wife, Evelyn, operate Hitching Post Wedding Chapel and have been required by city officials to perform same-sex marriages or else be jailed or fined.