A Camberwell church has been fined over £7,500 for disturbing neighbours with loud sermons – including a weekly 3am ‘miracle’ service that claims to cure worshippers of illness.
Kingdom Church in Camberwell Station Road was brought to court by Southwark Council last month, after residents lodged “floods of complaints.”
However, Bishop Climate Wiseman told the News that the church was appealing the fine, as it had received no complaints since installing a new roof in an effort to reduce noise.
He said: “It is a big fine and we will be appealing against it. I do not deny that we made some noise – we did. But we have spent nearly ten thousand pounds reducing the noise. And I was out of the country so could not go to court.
“We are based is an industrial area. But there are new flats and they complain. The flats were meant to be offices but they became houses. People could hear it, especially in summer when they open their windows.”
The church runs a weekly 3am service, which occurs at that time, according to its website, because “is a well-known time that witchcraft and negative elements begin to work.”
It adds: “While the witches are busy working their witchcraft you are getting the wisdom of God concerning their demonic operations.”
The church was fined £7,740.50 fine at Camberwell Green Magistrates on February 22, after it was found guilty of two charges under Section 80 of the Environmental Protection Act 1980.
Councillor Michael Situ, Southwark Council cabinet member for communities and safety, said: “We would have preferred to settle this matter out of court, but unfortunately our attempts to work with the church leaders were ignored.
“We hope the penalty helps to remind both the leaders, and the wider community, anti-social behaviour of any kind will not be tolerated and wrongdoers will be made to pay one way or another.”