Downtown churches upset with Life is Beautiful

Life is anything but beautiful these days for the congregants of four downtown churches.

They’re preparing for an assault on the spiritual senses of only slightly less than biblical proportions. For the second straight year they may face crushing crowds, tone-deaf security, and ear-splitting noise just to worship on Sunday morning at the churches of their choosing.

Rehan Choudhry’s Life Is Beautiful festival is scheduled to hit downtown Oct. 24-26 with an all-star lineup of singers and chefs. Last year’s roaring celebration of music, food and art attracted an estimated 60,000 revelers, who no doubt enjoyed themselves but easily overran hundreds of local churchgoers in the area.

The response a year ago was one of arrogant dismissal of the churches’ concerns. Matters have improved little this year. Attempts to reach an agreement with festival promoters have failed to result in a working plan to keep the concert and crowd noise down to a dull roar and allow congregants to participate in Sunday services.

Last year many parishioners complained of being stopped by security as they tried to enter the festival’s barricaded “footprint.” They were forced to walk long distances, and even compelled to pay an entrance fee just to get to church. Once inside the spiritual sanctuary, they were assaulted by crowd noise, microphone sound checks, and, of course, the music.

At the diminutive Downtown Community Church, the Rev. Stephen Smith’s nondenominational congregation consists mostly of a few dozen elderly and poor area residents. Known as “Pastor Smith” to the homeless encampment on Foremaster Lane, he is at a loss for what to do about his upcoming services.

“They haven’t been accommodating at all,” Smith says. “How can you run a church service with all that going on? On Sunday, literally the windows shake and the doors shake, and you can’t hear anything.”

He wonders whether churches in newer areas of Southern Nevada would be forced to endure such insulting treatment.

“If this was Central Christian, or a Mormon church, or a Jewish temple, this wouldn’t happen,” he says. “It’s because it’s happening to small churches. This is a struggling area, and they don’t care two flips about this part of Fremont Street.”

At St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on 131 N. Ninth St., Father Courtney Edward Krier saw a dramatic drop in attendance during last year’s festival after families were turned away by security. The priest, whose church says Mass in Spanish and English, and like others downtown offers substantial outreach to the poor and homeless, recalls a festival official asking him with a straight face if he couldn’t just close St. Joseph’s for the weekend during Life Is Beautiful rather than go to all the trouble of holding services.

Close the church?

“We want them to recognize that we are here, and they can’t all of a sudden close the gates on us,” Krier says. “It’s as if they’re saying we’re just a church, we don’t matter. … We’re definitely not a wealthy parish, but we are a very giving parish.”

But no one wants to hear about food pantries and daily breakfast for the poor these days. They’re too busy gearing up for the big party and the economic windfall that comes with it.

“We need to have an agreement about going forward addressing each issue about access, noise, parking and the irresponsible driving of golf carts by their employees near our church,” Pastor JoElda May of Amistad Christiana at 901 E. Stewart Ave. wrote in a letter earlier this year.

But those concerns didn’t result in the signing of a memorandum of understanding offered by the churches’ attorney, former American Civil Liberties Union litigator Allen Lichtenstein.

In a discussion with a festival lawyer, Lichtenstein recalls, “He made it pretty clear that he’s involved in these festivals all the time, and they don’t have to do any kind of accommodations, but would do something out of the goodness of their hearts, and then they never did anything.”

If promoters are so sure of themselves, the lawyer says, it might be because “they’re aware they’re not going to get any pushback or requirements from the city. The City Council seems to have stars in their eyes about this downtown development.”

Ward 5 City Councilman Ricki Barlow says he’s trying to balance the needs of the neighborhood with the requirements of the festival and plans a meeting this week with representatives of both interests.

“I’m familiar with their (neighbors’) concerns,” Barlow says. “They’re valid concerns. It’s always difficult when we have a major event such as Life Is Beautiful or a marathon, because we have individuals that will be impacted. … We’re working very aggressively to solve as many of those concerns as possible and provide access to those most impacted.”

Councilman Bob Coffin of nearby Ward 3 says he had hoped his suggestion that the churches would “come evangelize to the people of Life Is Beautiful, not only their own flock but all of the young people” was unsuccessful. Coffin adds that he believes the festival’s promoters are more aware of the churches’ issues this year.

“They’re going to be, as far as I know, as attentive as they can be,” Coffin says.

In a meandering essay published last year in the Las Vegas Sun, Choudhry rapped about learning from mistakes and making life beautiful for his fellow planet members.

“Las Vegas, let’s take this opportunity to grow together. Let’s take a step forward together,” Choudhry wrote. “Let’s hike to the highest peak of Red Rock, look up to the sky and scream, in one unified voice, ‘Life is beautiful. Life is full of hope and opportunity. Life wants me to succeed and find happiness because, more than anything, I deserve it.’ ”

Choudhry’s self-empowerment drivel rings painfully hypocritical considering what his festival has already done to hundreds of harmless and essentially defenseless church members.

The lack of assistance for the churches should generate a clarion call from members of all Southern Nevada faiths on their behalf.

Hundreds of residents of faith can’t shout above the cacophony of the Life Is Beautiful crowd, and they shouldn’t have to.

Maybe with a little help their voices will be heard above the din.

John L. Smith’s column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Email him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0295. Follow him on Twitter @jlnevadasmith.