A New Hope Church on Fayetteville Road in Durham has won a slight victory over their neighbors when a Durham judge refused to delay a case against the church that is set to go on trial in June, over extreme noise coming from the church.

The judge refused to allow a temporary restraining order that would have meant that the New Hope Church would have had to turn down the sound of their worship services whilst there is still an ongoing case filed against them by their neighbors.

However, Judge Bryan Collins, did allow an appeal from the attorneys of New Hope Church to test sound levels of the church in two nearby homes.

Apparently the Durham Police filed a criminal noise citation against the church in December. However, because the key witness did not turn up in court it was thrown out.

Neighbors who filed a lawsuit in January, based on the noise coming from the church, said that the sound was “akin to rock concerts,” and nine families in the area have joined in the suit.

New Hope church congregation members say that they have tried to compromise with their neighbors by soundproofing the walls and bringing down the volume level. They have even tried to vary their times of worship, all to no avail.

The complaining neighbors disagree that the church has tried to compromise. They claim that church leaders have been openly hostile with regards to their complaints. They say that the church still shares the sounds of their worship services with them at a disturbingly loud volume level and they complain that it is disturbing their rest and peaceful enjoyment of their neighborhood.

William J. Thomas II, attorney for New Hope Church, said that the church has been nothing but good neighbors to the community. He goes on to say that the church has been “in full compliance with both local and state law and has monitored all sounds coming from the church to ensure compliance.”

Thomas added that the New Hope Church has “nothing but love for their neighbors.”

Tests for volume levels are set for the church on Sunday.

Read more: AllChristianNews