Does "That" have to be next to the noun it modifies?

Answer 1

This is a good question. The word that is used in many grammatical structures, but I think you're referring to it as a relative pronoun, or a linking work between a noun and a following relative (adjective) clause. If so, then the answer is YES.

The church that you're referring to recently held a bake sale.

noun= church

relative clause= that you're referring to

[which came from the sentence "you're referring to the church"]

Here you could also use the word which as a relative pronoun.

Yes, the clause must come immediately after the noun it modifies.