Revival Today Church plans move to Hopewell after Moon Township controversy
The Revival Today Church, which sparked months of controversy in Moon Township, is now planning a move to Hopewell, Beaver County.
The proposed move comes after loud festivals, booming sermons, and a court-ordered shutdown.
The big question is whether the move will bring peace or move the problem elsewhere.
The legal fight followed months of neighbor complaints over nonstop noise and traffic, which boiled over after a massive outdoor festival in the summer of 2024 that township officials never approved.
The church is looking ahead, submitting plans to relocate to a 52,000-square-foot space in the Hopewell Industrial Park, about 10 miles from its former location.
But not everyone near this new location is convinced the move will be trouble-free.
"History is the best judge of future activity or the future of how you behave," said township zoning officer John Bates.
Bates is aware of the controversy in Moon Township, but doesn't expect history to repeat itself. He cites the location and the fact that they'll be worshiping inside at the new location as the primary reasons.
"It all has to be in the interior of the building, just like all the other uses at the industrial park, and so, hopefully, there's no conflicts that arise," Bates said.
The church has submitted a building permit application to modify the space. Once that's approved, the church can move in.
"The industrial park is a big place; they have plenty of parking, there's a red light at the intersection on Gringo Road, so hopefully, there's no conflict to amount to anything."
Despite those assurances, some neighbors say the church's past raises red flags, and they're watching closely to see whether rules are closely followed this time.
"I guess basically my opinion is this, they have to comply with the local laws in our township, so if they have a history of not complying with those laws, then I'd be against it. It seems they have had a bad reputation."
KDKA-TV reached out to the revival church for comment, but did not hear back.