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February 10, 2009

Turn It Down! Church Blasts Bed Stuy Neighbors

universal-outreach-church-0209.jpg“Whenever I’m awake, it’s on. Whenever I’m asleep, it’s on! They put the speaker on and rock it out,” says Destorm Power, encapsulating the problem facing neighbors of the Universal Outreach Ministries at 961 Bedford Avenue. Locals have tried 311 only to be told that noise complaints can't be filed against a house of worship during service hours. And volume's not the only problem: “If it sounded good, it would be okay, but they can’t sing,” said Power.




Posted by Brownstoner at 10:43 AM | Comments (29)
Categories: Bedford Stuyvesant, Quality of Life

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Comments

That's ungodly.

Posted by: TownhouseLady at February 10, 2009 10:48 AM

i have nothing to add to this thread other than that "Destorm Power" is the best.name.EVER!
hey bed stuy! you don't mess with Destorm!


*r*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at February 10, 2009 10:55 AM

Great story!
“We are commissioned by God to do this,” said Johnson, who conceded the church doesn’t have a permit for the speakers. “We are spreading the word of the Lord. God gives us the power to do this.”
Someone needs to call ConEd to let them know.

Posted by: Maly at February 10, 2009 10:56 AM

When I lived in Crown Heights I had the same problem. I was too afraid though to say anything. I kept envisioning a lightning bolt coming out of a clear sky to strike me dead in the tooty hole.

Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at February 10, 2009 10:57 AM

i wish i was home right now watching Sister Act 2: on the run!

*r*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at February 10, 2009 10:59 AM

I LOVE the WTF? look Destorm.

Posted by: jasetheace at February 10, 2009 11:12 AM

It could be worse. They could be Satan Worshippers. Then you'd be dealing with the Best of Alice Cooper all day.

Posted by: Legion at February 10, 2009 11:25 AM

As a former member of several church choirs, ranging from unpaid volunteers, to paid professional members like myself, hired to augment (and hopefully drown out) aforementioned unpaid volunteers, it is a known fact that the state of tone deathness is in direct proportion to lung capacity and volume. In other words, those who can least sing, sing loudest.

As David says in Psalm 98, "Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy and sing praises." The shouting and breaking forth part has been taken up with great gusto by those whose voices may have more in common with a later psalm's "praise with clanging cymbals", than the inspiring tones of a budding Whitney Houston, or Renee Fleming. Ah, well.

On a more serious side, I don't know what could be done. I think there is a big difference between spreading the Word and being an obnoxious and callous neighbor. You would think that they would realize that the effectiveness of the former is severely hampered by the latter.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at February 10, 2009 11:29 AM

Arghh, Freudean slip there - tone "deathness" should read tone deafness!

Posted by: Montrose Morris at February 10, 2009 11:32 AM

I have two ideas.

Ski masks and wire snips.

Just a thought!

Posted by: TownhouseLady at February 10, 2009 11:36 AM

THL, that would be something if someone actually did that!

Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at February 10, 2009 11:42 AM

MM, even the church doesn't get it oftentimes. Two words: Spanish Inquisition.

I had an interesting conversation with my brother and sister-in-law over the weekend about the disparity in annulment charges to get married in the Catholic Church after one of them was previously married.

I guess it ranges from $35 (my divorced protestant sister-in-law) to $6,000 if you're a Kennedy!!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 10, 2009 11:44 AM

Religious terrorism, plain and simple. Noise like that is used as a means of torture by the US military. The city should re-visit it's policies on this as I don't see how any person or group has the right to inflict its "message and mission" on the neighborhood at any time of day.

LM

Posted by: LM at February 10, 2009 11:47 AM

And since when do houses of worship get a pass on noise complaints?

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at February 10, 2009 11:51 AM

Snappy, I'm agnostic so technically speaking, I may or may not be scared of gods wrath! I'm waiting until death to find out.

Posted by: TownhouseLady at February 10, 2009 11:51 AM

I've often wondered what it would be like living near the Mosque on Fulton(btwn Wash. and St.James)-they have a speaker/megaphone pointed out of a window. It seems to me to be too touchy of a subject to bring up but it would really anger me if I lived in audible distance.

Posted by: DowningByLaw at February 10, 2009 12:00 PM

the "house of worship" across the street from my apt on bergen between smith / court is so loud, and so so bad. they can not sing worth sh!t. they use a live band, keep the doors wide open, and sometimes continue until after 11pm. And it's on totally random nights, no regular schedule that i have noticed. So, one never knows when to expect a quiet evening at home, or the total opposite.

Posted by: bowl of dicks at February 10, 2009 12:11 PM

I can sometimes hear the call to prayer from the mosque on Bedford and Fulton. I guess because I'm probably at the end of speaker range, I find it hauntingly beautiful and exotic, as the sound kind of wafts across from a far distance and just undulates. It's only a couple of times a day, and depending on time of year and weather conditions, I don't always hear it.

I think if I lived across the street, I'd be less poetic about it.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at February 10, 2009 12:15 PM


When I lived at 5th Ave and Bergen in Park Slope years ago, some street preacher got out his equipment one Saturday morning, set it up on the corner, and started doing his thing. I had worked all the previous night and needed some sleep. I tried to ignore it, then called the local precinct twice to complain. They said they'd send a car but didn't. Finally, I got really pissed, put on some clothes, went downstairs, and confronted the preacher. I told him face-to-face somthing like "That's enough...I'm trying to sleep, man!" I think I was getting my point across when the cops finally came and made him pack it up. Good thing they did. I was starting to imagine I'd end the day in jail for slugging a preacher.

Posted by: East New York at February 10, 2009 12:38 PM

A bad neighbor is a bad neighbor. Hiding behind religion is not an excuse for shirking the laws that the rest of us are required to follow. It makes the offense worse no?

Posted by: TownhouseLady at February 10, 2009 12:48 PM

MM...yes, the mosques can be annoying if you're in Malaysia trying to sleep in your hotel room.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at February 10, 2009 2:40 PM

we had a huge problem with the Greek Orthodox Church on schermerhorn. They had their faux taped bells playing every 15 minutes- very loudly- all day long. every day. finally a bunch of us started calling up the church office and whether or not the machine picked up we blew whistles in their ears. They started getting the hint- two can play that game.

I am all for freedom of religion- I just don't see where you have to blast your worship out the doors and windows. I don't think G-d gives points for annoying the neighborhood and it is just so damn inconsiderate. This whole its a free country I can do whatever I want so the heck with you is so tired.

Posted by: bxgrl at February 10, 2009 3:13 PM

I have the same issue in my neighborhood, a Spanish language Pentacostal evangelical something something. I swear, friday night and sunday night it sounds like Hitler is giving a rousing speech to his minions. Amusing but only when it's not summer and all my windows are open.

what I don't get... how can they get away with broadcasting with speakers, hung outside the church? I'm all for any religion's right to a 'noisy service', when said service is not BROADCAST.

Posted by: MAT at February 10, 2009 3:43 PM

"You would think that they would realize that the effectiveness of the former is severely hampered by the latter."

Not at all, Montrose. I attended the Times Square Church and the point of the (otherwise rhetorically excellent) sermon was that the more you annoy people (particularly close family members) with your religious fanaticism, the more you know you're right.

Might apply to a few folks on here too.

Good one, Maly.

Posted by: mopar at February 10, 2009 5:11 PM

Yeah, mopar, I know exactly what you mean, as I have a family member in a sect that will remain nameless, that owns a lot of property in Brooklyn Heights.

The more you distance yourself from your theologically incorrect family, the better. The more cut off from traditional social norms, such as birthdays, holidays and voting, the closer you are to God and the Truth. After all, if it's easy, it's worldly, and therefore bad. Don't get me started.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at February 10, 2009 6:37 PM

I also find the hint of the mosque beautful. Funny I noticed it more when I was just back from Istanbul.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at February 10, 2009 7:00 PM

I live behind the Greater Free Gift Baptist Church on Stockton Street. The Free Gift turns out to be incredibly loud music - the leave all their back doors open and we are gifted with the organ, drums, etc. Sometimes until 11pm on weeknights. Wish I could afford to leave in a more heathen neighborhood.

Posted by: BedStuyMO at February 11, 2009 11:38 AM

Just as bad, many churches have the right to double park during services. Many of them park their cars in bike lanes with complete impunity.

Posted by: lincolnlimestone at February 11, 2009 12:00 PM

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