Pastor's Wife Fined for Praying Too Loud On Sidewalk in North Dakota

A pastor's wife in Lisbon, North Dakota, has been punished and fined $150 for praying too loud on sidewalks.

Martha Nagbe, wife of Pastor Juwle Nagbe of The United Methodist Church, paid the fine after two court appearances but insisted that her rights were violated. "I can't stop," Nagbe told KVLY 11 TV station. "I'm trusting God."

Nagbe, who moved to the U.S. from Liberia, was asked by the police to stop praying on sidewalks and neighborhood.

"In the United States it's one nation under God," she said as she defended her rights.

Lisbon Police chief Jeanette Persons said the problem is not Nagbe's religion but her loud voice. "I mean, we all need prayers and, great, she's out there praying for all of us, but it's just the volume of her voice," she said

Persons said they received complaints from Nagbe's neighbors, who said "that they have been woken up and she is standing outside of their house shouting."

"It's not that she walks by, but she will stand out there for a lengthy period of time," the police chief said, adding that she has only seen her pray outside during the day.

Pastor Nagbe, who works at The United Methodist Church, lamented that the police portrayed her wife as a bad person, saying she deserves respect. "For them to antagonize her, to make her look like a bad person, sometimes makes me angry," he said. "Somebody should give her the respect that she deserves."

Despite the fine, Martha Nagbe vowed to continue manifesting her faith by making joyful noise.

The police chief warned that more fines await her if she continues to pray loudly. One compromise solution is for Nagbe to lower her voice while praying, the police chief said.