Gospel news

Neighbors of Faith Baptist Church in Waterford, Michigan say church's music is too loud. The church says it is singing God’s praises and the township is violating its rights.

The church, on Airport Road south of Williams Lake Road, is suing the township, accusing officials of using police to raid the church to quiet its worship, which is in violation of the First Amendment right to freely exercise religion.

According to the lawsuit, uniformed Waterford police officers raided, without a search warrant, arrest warrant or on any other legal authority, detained Pastor Mark Kerr, interrogated him and seized his driver’s license.

Township Supervisor Carl Solden denies any harassment, saying the issue came down to a simple noise complaint. The Waterford church’s suit is a counterclaim that follows one filed in Oakland County Circuit Court in February by one of the church’s neighbors, Timothy Carlson. Carlson’s suit seeks a court order reducing the volume of rock music and other songs practiced and played as part of the worship service.

The Waterford case is the latest high-profile skirmish in metro Detroit between churches and local governments, which have butted heads over everything from zoning and taxes to traffic and noise.

In January 2004, the Al-Islah Islamic Center in Hamtramck sought city permission to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer over loudspeakers. Many residents in the once largely Polish and Catholic community objected. But a majority ultimately voted to keep a law allowing the prayer broadcast and the ringing of church bells.