Church of Pentecost clamps down on noise making

The Church of Pentecost is discouraging excessive noise making by its local assemblies, directing for strict adherence to the bylaws on the permissible noise level. This is contained in a five-year strategic vision of the Church (Vision 2023) dubbed “Possessing the Nations” being implemented by the Church under the Chairmanship of Apostle Eric Nyamekye. The Vision 2023 strategy is focused on influencing and facilitating national development with values and principles of the kingdom of God and infrastructural investment. The Church thus charged its congregations to desist from “excessive noise making during Church services especially at all night prayer sessions.” “All Churches will be encouraged to comply with the by-laws on noise-making,” excerpts of the Vision 2023 document launched on November 12, 2018, stated. As at the end of 2017, the Church of Pentecost had 20,863 local assemblies in 99 countries with a total population of about three million. Noise pollution by Churches and prayer camps has become a discomforting menace to many residential homes nationwide, a situation which sometimes results in confrontations and lawsuits. Last week for instance, the Haatso branches of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) and the Cross Road Community Church Ministries (CRCCM) were ordered by the Accra High Court presided over by Mrs. Justice Novisi Afua Aryene to pay damages of GH¢40,000 (GH¢20,000 each) to two residents of the area for excessive noise-making and for being a nuisance. In the judgment, the Judge stated that the two churches breached building regulations by using a property situated in a residential area for worship without authorization and that their noise level was excessive and violated the regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “The EPA found that the noise level had a minimum of 76 decibel dB( A) and a maximum reading of 86 dB (A). The EPA daytime permissible noise level for residential areas is 55 dB (A). On the evidence, I rule that the noise was clearly above the permissible noise level for a residential area where the church was sited,” Justice Aryene held.