The story starts with raids into Faith Baptist Church in Waterford Township, Michigan and continues with lawsuits against the church and the Township.  Jim Combs is the pastor.

“In China we hear about this all the time.  But in America, I don’t get it.”

More than once, he has seen Waterford Police enter his building and intimidate members because of an indoor worship service for kids, featuring guitars and amplifiers.

“Our problem is that the prosecuting attorney, by orders of someone, took it on himself to come into our building and disrupt services. That’s where we draw the line.”

The church is suing. The town Supervisor, Carl Solden says officers only were responding to a complaint from a neighbor, who is going to court as well.

“That very complainant that called us filed a civil suit against the church for that very problem that he’s having.”

The church and its attorneys believe the prosecutor is the one with a bee in his bonnet.  Brian Rooney is an attorney with the Thomas More Law Center, which is prosecuting the church’s suit.

“This prosecutor is overzealous. He went beyond his authority and beyond the scope of his job and violated what, in America, we hold to be most sacred and that’s our freedom of religion.”

Pastor Combs wants peace, especially with the neighbor and police.

“The police officers were apologetic. “They said, “We don’t even want to be here.”

The church was built 47-years before the neighbor set-up residence only a few dozen feet from the auditorium.  There is a long public record of the township issuing variances that let that happen.