Hello Chris-Vincent,
I travelled for about 7 hours to Ghana from London for a vacation which has turned into a big fight between my household and a church which has been planted next door. It’s only in Africa you would find a church operation in a residential neighbourhood without noise restrictions or any specified operating times.
For the two weeks that I have been back home, I’ve not been able to sleep in my room because it’s directly opposite the next house—which is being used as a church 7 days a week (each morning and evening). I have been spending the nights with a friend at his inconvenience when I have my own place—for fear of going deaf, more practically; because no one can sleep in that level of noise pollution from next door.
Before I continue with the narrative, let me add that I now perfectly understand why there are a lot of churches in Ghana. I have heard on more than four occasions the amount this next door ‘small’ church called ‘Arena of Miracles’-has made–and to be frank, It is enough to push any person into the church business. Last Sunday, they graciously announced having made over 200 million cedis (old Ghana cedis) and this is solely from their ‘collection’ and not the sticker sales.
With my room being next door, I hear everything whenever I am around and even if I do not want to hear what is going on in the next house turned into a church, their loud speakers supported by powerful amplifies make it impossible. I cannot understand why such a small church with all its members in one compound will need such loud speakers and amplifies—if it’s not to purposefully disturb those of us living nearby.
I have read and heard from different people about the increasing level of noise being made by churches in Ghana, especially at residential areas and until I became a victim, I wasn’t very much aware of how this can literally torture your whole existence.
Regularly, I hear the leader/prophet of this church specifically asking the congregants to make noise—he says it like, ‘mo ye dede’ and for the next 10 minutes, you will hear these people shout so loud as if they live in a vacuum, without giving a toss about those of us living next to them. What kind of God are these people serving that seems to have no regard for others?
On Friday night, I couldn’t take the noise and as such, I had a heavy confrontation with the leaders of the church. In fact, my attempt to get them to lower their amplifies and speakers turned into a full ‘war’ which ended in the presence of about 11 policemen.
When the policemen turned up, one of them asked; ‘how do you guys around here sleep?’. Of course we cannot sleep and we cannot also complain because an attempt by me to let these worshippers cut down their noise nearly got me lynched. The prophet in charge of the church said if I intend to stop them from worshipping their God, they will eliminate me—and I am aware how they’ve threatened other residents in the past with heavy beatings if they dare come there to complain.
The police who turned up during the fight advised we make an official complaint to a government agency in charge of regulating such things but knowing Ghana, would anything be done? I will proceed to lodge a complaint on Monday—though I leave for the UK on Friday. At least, if something is done about it in my absence, the residents will forever be grateful but I doubt this will end anything considering how gullible these church members are…
Talking about gullibility let me tell you about a gas cylinder being sold by the prophet of this church to the members which many of the members have testified that the stickers work. The prophet prays on some bunch of stickers and sells it to the members—who have to place the sticker on their gas cylinders at home over night; and apparently, by the next morning, their empty gas cylinders will be full of gas which they use for cooking and whatever…
Of course this is nonsense but each day, several of the church members take hold of the loud mic to testify—thanking the holy prophet for the gas cylinder sticker which have worked for them. If you have such people camped in a house to make noise, what can you reasonably tell them to enable them realize the havoc they are causing?
I have heard them say, I am a wizard and their many late night prayers and loud worships are making it impossible for me to fly—and that is why I am bitterly complaining and fighting them. What kind of nonsense is this? Yet, the members believe it just as they believe the gas stickers work and they rush to buy them anytime they are for sale.
I have always wanted to relocate to Ghana eventually, but this together with the many ongoing issues mean I better find a place for my head. This is unacceptable and yet, it’s happening.
Frank A./Ghana
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
You can send your Readers’ Mail directly to me via [email protected]
It may take some time to get published because I receive a lot of such mails and need to publish them one after the other. Thank You.
hmmmmm, there is a church two houses away from mine so i understand this perfectly…