Post by kjvsteve on Jul 17, 2009 11:39:08 GMT -5
It's a classic.
I had to read it twice for it to sink in!
Church faces £1,000 fine as town hall bans Sunday afternoon services
A church is facing a £1,000 [$1,635] fine for holding its services on Sunday afternoons.
Council bosses say worshipers can pray until 12.30pm but have outlawed the 2pm and 5.30pm services after a handful of neighbors complained about noise and disturbance.
An application for longer hours by the New Covenant Pentecostal church, in Manchester, has also been rejected.
The church is considering whether to defy the Sunday afternoon ban on services for its 150-strong Romanian congregation.
Pastor Michael Oludipe said: 'Some of them are Christians and want to worship - most churches have an evening worship. It is our Christian duty.'
The church currently has permission for services from 9am until 5.30pm Monday to Saturday, with a late opening on Tuesdays until 8.30pm, and for 12.30pm on Sundays.
If it decides to defy the ban on services at 2pm and 5.30pm on Sundays it will face a fine of up to £1,000.
Pastor Oludipe said the church has taken all necessary precautions to damp down excessive noise after an extensive refurbishment.
Even though there are two pubs less than 100 yards away from the chapel, three residents complained to the council about the extra noise and traffic caused by the congregation.
Father-of-two Tony Brierly, 70, of Matthews Lane, said: 'Most of the people are up in arms about it. There will be huge groups of people and lots of cars creating noise and rubbish.
'Imagine if you were a mum and you had a little baby - it would never be able to get to sleep because of all the noise.'
A council spokesman said that the proposed hours would result in 'unacceptable noise' for nearby homes, 'particularly late at night'.
Pastor Oludipe says the services are vital for helping immigrants feel at home.
'We saw a lot of Romanians move into the area after the EU enlarged,' he said. 'We are helping them to integrate into the community. We teach English, provide meetings with council workers and computers for job searches to help them.
It says neighbors complained of noise and disturbance... a friend of mine called Bradford Council a few months ago to complain about the muslim mosque - they have 4 LOUD SPEAKERS ON THE ROOF blasting out every single day - they council claim it is perfectly legal, and does not violate any noise laws.
I had to read it twice for it to sink in!
Church faces £1,000 fine as town hall bans Sunday afternoon services
A church is facing a £1,000 [$1,635] fine for holding its services on Sunday afternoons.
Council bosses say worshipers can pray until 12.30pm but have outlawed the 2pm and 5.30pm services after a handful of neighbors complained about noise and disturbance.
An application for longer hours by the New Covenant Pentecostal church, in Manchester, has also been rejected.
The church is considering whether to defy the Sunday afternoon ban on services for its 150-strong Romanian congregation.
Pastor Michael Oludipe said: 'Some of them are Christians and want to worship - most churches have an evening worship. It is our Christian duty.'
The church currently has permission for services from 9am until 5.30pm Monday to Saturday, with a late opening on Tuesdays until 8.30pm, and for 12.30pm on Sundays.
If it decides to defy the ban on services at 2pm and 5.30pm on Sundays it will face a fine of up to £1,000.
Pastor Oludipe said the church has taken all necessary precautions to damp down excessive noise after an extensive refurbishment.
Even though there are two pubs less than 100 yards away from the chapel, three residents complained to the council about the extra noise and traffic caused by the congregation.
Father-of-two Tony Brierly, 70, of Matthews Lane, said: 'Most of the people are up in arms about it. There will be huge groups of people and lots of cars creating noise and rubbish.
'Imagine if you were a mum and you had a little baby - it would never be able to get to sleep because of all the noise.'
A council spokesman said that the proposed hours would result in 'unacceptable noise' for nearby homes, 'particularly late at night'.
Pastor Oludipe says the services are vital for helping immigrants feel at home.
'We saw a lot of Romanians move into the area after the EU enlarged,' he said. 'We are helping them to integrate into the community. We teach English, provide meetings with council workers and computers for job searches to help them.
It says neighbors complained of noise and disturbance... a friend of mine called Bradford Council a few months ago to complain about the muslim mosque - they have 4 LOUD SPEAKERS ON THE ROOF blasting out every single day - they council claim it is perfectly legal, and does not violate any noise laws.
