Protesters picket noise from church bells | News

Muskegon (WZZM) - Protesters lined up outside of a lakeshore church Sunday morning to try to convince the pastors to turn off the church bells.

The bell on Bluffton Church in Muskegon rings every day on the hour until 9pm.

The protesters say the noise is annoying and the pastor and his wife refuse to turn the chimes off.

The pastors say they have already turned the chimes down and that still hasn't made the protesters happy.

"We just want them to play it on Sunday and I don't think that's too much to ask," said Tina Noll, one of the protesters. "They've been unreasonable and they haven't wanted to do anything so now we're here just making sure they get the message."

"Ringing church bells at a reasonable volume is well within the city ordinances and a normal function of a normal church," said Pastor Hugh Kallen. "I'm not saying it's a religious expression issue, but it's just what churches all over the city."

Kallen says he has had other neighbors ask to turn the volume up on the chimes.

The church is not violating any city noise ordinances by ringing the bells.