A New Orleans congregation called Vintage Church has been hit with two criminal summons alleging that the church's Sunday services are too noisy. The Jefferson Parish sheriff's office has repeatedly visited the tent where the church operates while their building is under construction, asking that services be quieter than 60 decibels — which is about as loud as a normal conversation or an air conditioning unit — and that Sunday set-up start only 10 minutes before services begin.
Vintage Church has launched a suit against the sheriff's office in response, noting that the sheriffs admit there is no law actually on the books dictating the 60 decibel limit. The congregation of several hundred has already pared down its worship to a few acoustic instruments in an attempt to be quieter, but Pastor Rob Hargrove says the sheriff's office has sent multiple cars to monitor the services' sound, even fingerprinting another pastor during a service while delivering the summons.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Nare Hotel: a charming hideaway on the Cornish coastThe Week Recommends Upgrade your classic seaside holiday at this five-star country house hotel
-
Today's political cartoons - March 6, 2025Cartoons Thursday's cartoons - weird science, Hoover's heels, and more
-
Gilbert & George and the Communists: an 'illuminating' look at the 'peculiar' world of the art duoThe Week Recommends The collaborative art pair's journey to Moscow in 1990 is chronicled in this 'excellent' book
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster showSpeed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top GrammysSpeed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own roomSpeed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talksSpeed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tourSpeed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamationSpeed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box officeSpeed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
