Pastor Sentenced to Two Weeks in Jail for Leading Noisy Church
A South Carolina pastor was sentenced to two weeks in jail for consistently leading church services that disturbed the surrounding community by making too much noise.
Johnnie Clark, the lead pastor of Rehoboth United Assemblies Church in Columbia, South Carolina, is now serving the jail time for violating the city's noise ordinance, according to KHOU.com report.
The Richland County jury found the pastor guilty of unlawful sound amplification following a three day trial. He was sentenced to two weeks in jail after prosecutors laid out their evidence against him.
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Police were reportedly called to the church over 50 times as neighbors frequently phoned in complaints about the musical equipment permeating their premises late into the night. Neighbors even recorded the illegal activity.
The church paid several fines for past violations.
Rehoboth's First Lady and Pastor Harriet Clark expressed her frustration over Johnnie's sentencing earlier this week.
"I can't believe it, jail time, for serving God, what's next," said Clark to News19.
Church member Thomas Borders claims he and the congregation, led by Clark, were worshipping in that location long before the complaining neighbors moved in and says the punishment being carried out is unfair for this reason.
"It's up to the neighbors to say if it's irritating to them or a nuisance to them," Borders said. "Well you can get a weed eater and go outside and if someone complains nothing will be done, but when it comes to worshipping God it's now a problem."
Clark will serve his sentence at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.
He previously stated that the only way to solve this problem would be to noise proof the church building, however, the process would be expensive.
