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?