A Rankin County couple asked a Chancellor to shut down a church's ringing of its bells after declaring it a nuisance.
Jeff Maynard and Sylvia Knight petitioned the Rankin County Chancery Court to issue an injunction against County Line Baptist Church of Rankin County on December 23, 2025.
The plaintiffs and the church reside on County Line Road. Knight and Maynard charge the church rings the bells too often and too loudly. The complaint claims:
10. The acts subject to this Complaint, hereinafter referred to as the "interfering acts," involve the Defendants' usage of the property known as County Line Road Baptist Church located at or near 1132 County Line Road, Mendenhall, MS 39114, described as follows: a. Using electronic speakers and sound systems to play electronic bell sounds every hour from 8:00am to 8:00pm seven days a week. b. Using electronic speakers and sound systems to play music at 12:00pm seven days a week and during meetings of the congregation. 11. These interfering acts disturb the Plaintiffs' enjoyment of the property at 1159 County Line Road, Mendenhall, Mississippi 39114.
The complaint alleges the volume of the bells are 16 to 32 times the normal background sound outdoors and 4 to 8 times the background sound indoors. The ringing is "continuous" and "ongoing" since September 2024 despite the plaintiffs' objections.
The noise allegedly prevents Maynard and Knight from enjoying their property while causing them irreparable harm. The couple asked for an injunction and damages against the church.
Rankin County Chancellor John McLaurin will hold a hearing on August 24 at 9. Attorney Matt Balderidge represents the plaintiffs while Mark Baker, Esq. represents the defendants.
Posted below are the petition and answer.
18 comments:
Good. I hope they win.
I am all for tradition and church bells, but this goes above and beyond of being reasonable.
This church is coming off as a bunch of douchebags.
I support the plaintiffs
I support the plaintiffs. Excessive church bell ringing isn't virtuous, and it isn't going to send the congregation to heaven. It's akin to narcissism. Listen to me, listen to me, listen to me.
Getting in people's faces with your religion isn't going to convert anyone.
Church bells are the Christian version of a “call to prayer”
Of course evil and demonic non-Christians hate them.
The only issue is the volume. If the volume is acceptable there is no issue.
1:28- Put them in the backyard behind your trailer and see how much you appreciate them.
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands
Pslams 100 KJV
Since when is mendenhall in rankin county?
I’d have a slight bit of empathy for them if the lawsuit wasn’t filled with hyperbole. A normal conversation is 60 - 70 dB. You mean to tell me those bells are toiling inside a building at 240 - 560 dB?
These two upstanding, cohabitating citizens don’t want a church across the street. The church has been rebuilt, the plaintiffs didn’t pay attention to the rebuilding process, and now want government to fix their lack of earlier action because the bells are twice the sound of a jet engine.
Sure.
I love to hear church bells. But the ones I hear are at a volume that you have to be quiet to hear the sound. I drive by a church in the early morning that does bells and I roll down the windows and drive slow so I can hear them. Just beautiful.
I understand playing music at the service times, but why are you hearing it so loudly outside of the church? Thats odd to me.
Postal addresses don't follow county, city or even state lines. My postal zip code covers four counties (very rural).
"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands
Pslams 100 KJV"
April 5, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Yeah ... but this ain't a joyful noise 3:03.
This isn’t rocket science. A mailing address doesn’t tell you the physical location of a property. Their mail comes from the Mendenhall post office.
Why is Lake Caroline served by the Madison post office, and the area just north of Madison the city served by Canton? Use a map and you might learn something.
I enjoy hearing the church bells and music. Some people aren't happy unless they are unhappy.
https://www.mississippimap.com/
Now see if you can find the county line on the map. That concludes today’s lesson.
This church is in Rankin County, but has a Mendenhall (Simpson County) address.
I bet that fellow servant defense saves the day. Jeepers.
Lazy defense lawyers pleading literally every defense in the book (the Ms rule book) demonstrates both lack of thought and lack of integrity.
Post a Comment