New Moon Township megachurch's week-long event prompts noise complaints from neighbors
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) -- A new megachurch in Moon Township has found itself in the middle of controversy over noise.
Neighbors who live near the church say the outdoor worship services are breaking the township's noise ordinances. Numerous complaints have been filed with the police department, but neighbors say they aren't enforcing the laws.
Whether you live across the street or a 1/2 mile away from the Revival Today Church, neighbors say they can hear the worship services as if they were actually there, and they're fed up.
"The noise level is more like a concert than a church," Ethan Bowman said.
Bowman has lived in Moon Township for the last six years. He says one of the reasons his family moved there was because of how quiet and peaceful it is -- that was until the Revival Today Church moved to a 34-acre property nearby.
"Anytime we're outside you can hear it. We have a back deck space that we pretty much don't use it anymore because it's so loud there plus on these cool days we can't really have our windows open, you just hear it inside all day long," Bowman said.
It's only day two into a planned week-long event and Bowman says he and many of his fellow neighbors have called and complained to the Moon Township police.
Bowman says the church has been conducting their sermons outside under a massive tent and isn't abiding by the township's noise ordinance which enforces a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. quiet time.
"They have ignored that the two days they have been open. They have gone after the 10 o'clock, sometimes until 10:30, the first night until 11:30, and they've also been before the 7 a.m. one, they've started at 6:45 before."
Bowman says he can hear sermons inside his home even over his television and is losing sleep. He claims the church doesn't have any permits and is going against construction codes in addition to breaking numerous ordinances.
But just this past Friday, a judge denied an injunction request from the township.
"It's very upsetting. We live in a small somewhat wooded community. It's normally quiet, but it's been very loud the last few days and it's supposed to continue the next week. And if this is an every week thing, it's really going to impact our community hard," Bowman said.
At a meeting Monday evening, people did get some good news. They've been worried the church would be hosting similar services every Sunday, but the township says the judge told them that won't be happening unless the church gets the necessary permits first.
