Serving In Prison For Serving God? – US Pastor Jailed Over Loud Church Services
Pastor Johnie Clark. Credits: Richland County Detention Center
An American pastor was jailed following the complaints by the neighbours about loud church services.
USA Today reports that the jury of Columbia, South Carolina, found pastor Johnnie Clark of the Rehoboth United Assemblies Church guilty of violating the city’s noise ordinance.
The trial against Clark lasted for 3 days, the prosecution provided enough evidence of unlawful sound amplification to land the pastor in prison for 2 weeks.
Before the legal proceedings were launched, police had allegedly informed the church about complaints more than 50 times.
According to the neighbours, the noise was caused by musical equipment and could be heard late in the evening and early in the morning, which was proved by several recordings provided to court.
Now Clark is not only to pay fines for the violations, but two serve 2 weeks in prison.
The pastor’s wife and church’s co-pastor Harriet Clark was outraged by the decision of the jury saying:
“I can’t believe it, jail time, for serving God, what’s next.”
One of the long-time parishioners of the church said:
“Well, you can get a weed eater and go outside and if someone complains nothing will be done, but when it comes to worshiping God its now a problem.”
Meanwhile the neigbours refused to comment on the trial outcome.
When back in June the judge prohibited the church to use sound-amplifying devices like drums or microphones between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m, it did not help and Clark commented the move as follows:
“They are trying to tell us how not to worship. We have church at 7:30, so what does that mean we only have 30 minutes to worship? “
One of the long-time parishioners of the church said:
“Well, you can get a weed eater and go outside and if someone complains nothing will be done, but when it comes to worshiping God its now a problem.”
Meanwhile the neigbours refused to comment on the trial outcome.
When back in June the judge prohibited the church to use sound-amplifying devices like drums or microphones between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m, it did not help and Clark commented the move as follows:
“They are trying to tell us how not to worship. We have church at 7:30, so what does that mean we only have 30 minutes to worship? “
