Church members say they’ve been harassed for being noisy
By STEPHEN HUBA
Stephen.Huba@IndeOnline.com
THE INDEPENDENT
The congregation at The Worshipers of Christ the Warrior King church, 1133 10th St. N.E., Massillon, say they've been harassed by neighboring residents.
The Worshipers of Christ the Warrior King say all they want to do is make a joyful noise to the Lord. But neighbors say the church has brought anything but joy to their quiet neighborhood.
The church, 1133 10th St. N.E., has been open for a year, and during that time, members have been harassed and even threatened by neighbors, church leaders say.
“We’re in here not bothering them, but they’re bothered because we’re here,” said Associate Pastor Jerena Copeland. “It’s so offensive.”
Copeland acknowledged that the church’s style of worship is exuberant. “We’re not going to whisper in our worship,” she said. “We’re not going to do it.”
Church leaders believe the uncivil treatment is racially motivated – the African-American church is located in a predominantly white neighborhood. It sits catty-corner from Whittier Elementary School.
Copeland and her husband, Eugene, said the troubles started in May 2006, about a month after the Pentecostal church opened. The church was holding a week-long revival, and the services went late into the night.
Neighbors complained about the noise, and the church responded by closing its windows and doors, Jerena Copeland said.
“We’ve tried to work with the community. We’ve done all we can do,” she said.
Copeland said the complaints about noise were exaggerated because all the church had was a CD player. Since then, the church has acquired a drum set and keyboard, but those are used only for Sunday morning worship, she said.
The Copelands and Administrative Assistant Gerald Woods listed a litany of hostile acts directed toward the church since the revival last summer, including beer bottles being placed under car tires, spouting being pulled off the 50-year-old building, and “No Trespassing” signs being pulled up.
Eugene Copeland said neighbors have deliberately let their dogs defecate on the church lawn without cleaning up. He said he has a five-quart bucket filled with dog feces to prove it.
“This was fresh poop,” he said.
Jerena Copeland said her brother-in-law, Michael Elder, of Wooster, was threatened by a neighbor. When Elder tried to report the incident to police, the officer would not take the report, she said.
Woods followed up with Massillon Police Chief Robert Williams, insisting that the incident be investigated. “I believe I ordered a report to be taken,” Williams said.
The chief, who met with church leaders on Wednesday, would not comment further, expressing disappointment that the church went to the news media.
“We are trying to work with the church and the community to come to an amicable conclusion for all parties,” he said.
Someone affiliated with the congregation sent an e-mail to news media outlets on Tuesday with the title “Church Worship Under Fire in Massillon!” Woods denied any knowledge of the e-mail but said, “Whoever sent it did us a favor.”
Senior Pastor Troy Sowell, who recently moved here from Chicago, was out of town and unavailable for comment.
Earlier this week, neighbors on Rotch Avenue and 10th Street submitted a petition to Massillon City Council, asking Ward 1 Councilman Ronald Mang to do something about the noise.
“We consider the level of noise emitting from inside the building to be a disruption to the general peace and good order of the neighborhood,” the petition said.
Mang was unavailable for comment, but his daughter, Diane, said he is aware of the situation.
“He went down to the church, and it is extremely loud,” she said. “There’s a lot of screaming and stuff like that.”
Woods said he scheduled a meeting with Mang but the councilman never showed.
Neighbor Jim Sponseller, who lives across the street from the church, said the noise is especially loud on Saturdays and Sundays. He did not know about the petition.
“They’re full of joy, full of God. I have no problem with that. More power to ’em,” he said. “When they first came into the church, they were extremely loud late at night.”
Another neighbor, a woman who would not give her name, said her problem is with the noise outside the church, not the worship services. The woman, who signed the petition, said church members leave their cars running and radios on and talk late into the night.
“We have a baby, and she’s trying to sleep,” she said. “It’s more the disrespect that’s shown to the neighborhood. I don’t know why they’re there in the wee hours of the night.”
Woods said the church will hold its annual revival again starting May 10. But as a concession to the neighbors, the revival will be only four days long.
“This event is huge for us,” he said.
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