Amidst the stifling heat of summer, residents of one Queens neighborhood close their windows to shut out the noise of “guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, singers and amplifiers," emanating from a nearby church, reports the Queens Courier. According to Patheos.com, worship for Pentecostals, like the congregation of the Love & Praise Assembly of God at 108h Street and Jamaica Avenue, is "a sensory experience filled with music, body movements, sounds, dancing, shouting, praying out loud, and speaking in tongues." It lasts a long time, upwards of two hours, and is capped off with a "moment of silence." But for neighbors, it seems like that moment never comes.
That's because after praise and worship—which last from 8-10 p.m. on Fridays, and also take place on Sunday mornings and on some Tuesdays and Thursdays—vans pick up the parishioners, announcing themselves by honking their horns. One perturbed neighbor said she turns up her TV to drown out the noise and another complained that afternoon rehearsal sessions are the latest annoying addition to the maelstrom. “On my days off, at 1 or 2 in the afternoon, I hear drums, keyboards, full blast,” he griped. “They don’t seem to understand that what they’re doing is an intrusion into our quality of life - they’re just too loud.”
The church claims its loud prayer sessions are a show of devotion not just to God, but to the neighborhood. “We are praising God, we are helping people,” said a church official, who pointed out that the congregation frequently serves meals to the needy. According to the house of worship, the noise complaints are just a matter of "a few people who don't like us."
