AIBU to want church to keep its music inside?

[Mylobsterteapot]

I live next door to a newly established church. It wasn’t there when I moved in. They play loud, awful “music” multiple times a week. It’s not nice old hymns but crappy Jesus themed pop music, played badly by a band and sung poorly.

Today they have all their doors and windows open and the music is so loud. I’m trying to work, someone else is trying to sleep after a night shift, and everyone else just wants to enjoy their Sunday morning in peace.

WIBU to go round and ask them to shut the doors and windows to keep the music inside? Mine are all closed. I’m sure God will still hear them, but we won’t!

Did you go to a certain grey uniformed grammar school in the SE by any chance?

When their lives started encroaching on ours. Part of social living in considering the effect our actions may have on others in the group. I have a right to wave my arms around but that right ends at another person's face. I have a right play music, but once it starts to impact on those around me doing what THEY want or need to do, I have to turn it down. In hot and humid levels the church has to accept that the music must be quieter than when the windows are closed. When did we become so utterly tolerant of other people disrupting our lives?

Sounds like it may have been all SE grammar schools then as mine had blue uniform.

I go to a church like that (modern, charasmatic) and we'd be horrified to upset our neighbours

‘I’m sure God will still hear them, but we wont’ 😂😂😂 that really made me laugh. And YANBU at all.

This.

Whenever I complain about the amplified noise from the Church next to me I point out that not once in 20 years has anything I've done disturbed their service.

I would like to see what would happen is I sat under their window with a really loud ghetto blaster and played thrash metal for an hour while they were trying to do quiet prayer or something!

Or all SE schools - non-grammar area here and we still had to sing it all the bloody time!

I went to a SE grammar school and never sung that. It was always Jerusalem and other ancient hymns.

In the first instance I would try politely pointing out the problem to whoever is in charge of the church, but you might end up having to go down the council noise complaint route, because obnoxious selfish people who think God is on their side invariably top the Total Arsehole league.

OP - I think if it’s pound music 10.30 on a Sunday morning then that’s one thing. That’s standard church service time.

if it’s loud music multiple times a week then I’d write a letter of complaint to them. If they ignore contact the council.

The church needs to either install air con so windows stay shut, or install acoustic baffles to absorb sound. They need to be considerate of their neighbours. If they aren’t the council can order them to be.

@LaMadameCholet sadly not... Sounds like I would have enjoyed it though 😂

Have you asked them to manage their noise better op?

I'd ask to meet with the minister/priest and just explain the noise is a bother and you'd appreciate if they can keep doors and windows shut when playing loud music/ having choir or band practice.

If they comply with that then it should reduce the noise but realistically there's probably not much more than that they can do as music is often a key part of worship and they're playing to a large number of people.

This type of thing is what makes me seethe about 'being christian'. Rarely do they show care and compassion for anyone other than their church. The assumption is that their service is more important than anything else their neighbours have to do! Definitely complain to the church and the council. I'd probably have marched over and slammed their doors shut.

In addition to my earlier comment, do you know any of your neighbours? If you could get them on board too, you have more of a united front.

I'd still recommend a letter to the church initially, then IF you need to get the council involved with noise complaints- they will take more notice of an entire street of houses complaining, over just the 1.

You then involve the local government ombudsman for council malpractice. And if you have one the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Don't stop at one refusal.

I used to be a sound engineer at a modern church. There’s quite a bit that can be done. Shutting windows and doors is number one. Sound proofing is number 2 - but can be very very expensive, particularly in converted warehouse type buildings.

I feel for you OP.
I live next door to a church that is let out on Sunday afternoon to another Christian group. The amplified noise is unbelievable - either very badly played music or shouting. I'm sure it is edifying to the people who go each week, but why does it have to completely take over outside the church? (We attend the morning services BTW, and do not need huge amplification!)
It's very selfish.
And there's often some inconsiderate parking as well!

Do they sing and play music in mosques??

(I dont believe they do congregational singing but perhaps you know better.......)

What kind of building is it? Is it a residential house, or a commercial building or hall type place?

I go to such a church (although I would describe it differently 😉). We keep the doors and windows closed during the music and only open them for the quieter times. I think that's fair.

@LlynTegid
You then involve the local government ombudsman for council malpractice. And if you have one the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Don't stop at one refusal.

Yes, of course we've tried all that. It's been four years.
I wonder if the councillor is a member of the church congregation?

Speak to them. But if you get nowhere, you really should play very loud music every time they start up.

My parents live next door to a boutique hotel who liked to play loud music on a Saturday evening in a residential area. They were open to compromise when Dad started playing loud music right next to where their guests were trying to enjoy afternoon tea in the hotel garden.

You deal with it like you would any other noise complaint you have from a intrusive and noisy business/neighbour. You seem specifically offended because its a church.

No, it really isn’t. On a Sunday morning that is just rude.