Raleigh church cited for noise after years of complaints

People living near the church in Oakwood Park have made hundreds of calls to police over the course of several years to complain about noise at The Glorious Church on Glascock Street.

"We have neighbors who live right next door to the church who can't do anything in their homes because of the volume," said neighbor Heidi Miller. "The church is so loud that they can't listen to the TV, can't listen to their own music, because they are listening to the music of the church."

Neighbors met with church leaders and Raleigh police four months ago to try to reach a compromise, but said the meeting was unsuccessful.

Church officials say they don't believe the noise is disruptive to the neighborhood.

"We have even circled the block ourselves during the times when we have services to see if it was actually like (the neighbors describe)," said church leader Ronald Christian. "We didn't get it like that, that it was actually that disturbing."

He acknowledged that the church was loud, but said it was an important part of the worship service.

"We are not the type of church that, when we sing, everything is so quiet because we get involved in what we are doing, in praising God," Christian said. 

Miller said the church is being unreasonable.

"There are plenty of solutions that they can have," she said. "(It won't) cost them anything to lower the volume."

The church plans to fight its citation before City Council on June 5.