Churches Debate T-Mobile Cell Phone Tower

The Lutherans and Catholics are at it again, but this time the debate involves a T-Mobile cell phone tower instead of 95 theses and a big wooden door.

The Akron Beacon Journal reported that Faith Lutheran Church in Fairlawn, Ohio, would like to partner with T-Mobile to erect a 140-foot-tall cell phone tower in the church’s backyard. T-Mobile representative John Sindyla said to reporters that the church can net $15,000 a year from having the tower and perhaps $30,000 more if space on the tower is rented out to other companies. The only problem is that the property for the 250-member Faith Lutheran borders the property of the 1,500-member St. Hilary Catholic Church. St. Hilary also has a school with 690 students and recreation fields that would be near the tower, which make the leaders there nervous.

This isn’t the first instance of churches selling a little space for a cell phone tower. This church in suburban Philadelphia chose to let T-Mobile build a tower inside the steeple.

“'Our concern is the cell tower and enclosure will be a great temptation for the 690 children of our school and hundreds of children who use the soccer fields during warm weather,” said the Rev. Steve Brunovsky, pastor of St. Hilary, to the Beacon Journal. “I envision many balls and objects ending up inside the enclosure and children and teens attempting to climb the fence to retrieve them.”

The proposed spot of the tower is very near the property boundary between the two churches. Faith Lutheran has reportedly delayed a $2.5-million expansion project, but Faith’s pastor, the Rev. Jean Hansen, told reporters that the delay has nothing to do with a potential deal with T-Mobile.

“We have the most to lose,” Brunovsky said. ''The members of Faith Lutheran attend services once a week and they are gone. We have children in school here all day as well as our offices.”

Unfortunately for the Catholic church, the members of the Lutheran church’s council voted unanimously to proceed with the cell phone deal. And thanks to the 1996 Federal Communications Act, displeasure from neighbors is not a good enough reason to keep a cell phone tower from being constructed.

“I guess their financial concerns outweigh the concerns of their neighbors,'” Brunovsky said to reporters. “We have always had a good relationship with the church, but it's disappointing that they asked for our input, but have ignored our concerns. This certainly puts a strain on our relationship.”