Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness;
come before his presence with singing. – Psalm 100
Ever since Holy Temple Ministries decided to build a church on Great Bridge Blvd. in Chesapeake, there have been problems. First, the community tried to keep the church from being built. That didn’t work and the church opened in December 2004. According to this article, the 10,500 square foot metal building houses about 100 worshippers several times a week. Since the church opened, several members of the community have called the police, complaining of loud music coming from the church. According to the same article, 14 complaints were made in 2005, prompting Police Capt. Doug Draper to issue a memo to officers on how to handle the complaints. The church, in a effort to reduce the noise, stopped using instruments in the services and soundproofed the building.
Yet the calls to police continue. Thursday, the Virginian Pilot reported that Del. Lionell Spruill has asked the US Justice Department to look into the matter. Why the Justice Department?
Many in the congregation suspect the complaints are racially motivated.
Spruill spoke to Chesapeake City Council last night and some council members agreed that the complaints against the church are “harassment.” Some of the calls aren’t even about the noise:
The police visits continued throughout 2005, Brinkley said. Records show that officers also received complaint calls from residents on two Wednesdays, even though the church holds Bible study class without music on those nights.
Sounds like harassment to me. I don’t know if the calls are racially motivated. It could be that the few residents who are still complaining simply don’t want a church in their neighborhood. Regardless, this situation has dragged on far too long. If the Justice Department can resolve it, good for them. It’s a shame it had to get this far, though.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Making a false police report is a crime. The police need to enforce the law.
An earlier article explained the need for the memo by saying that the police had repeatedly interrupted services to respond to complaints. Imagine trying to have a church service, and having the police walk in! Now imagine that happening over and over!
I think the church has been very patient about this and that a solution needs to be found that reflects the reality of the situation. The neighbors just need to get over it, and if they continue to make false police reports, they should be prosecuted.