Churches, Nonprofits Report String Of Burglaries

A Rockdale County church was shaken up after thieves burglarized the church last week, the pastor said.

The incident was the latest of a string of burglaries recently reported by community service centers.

Fellowship of Jesus Christ Church Pastor Michael Loyd said when he went to the church on Tuesday evening, the church’s youth room had been looted.

Loyd said thieves stole electronics including a DVD player, a CD player, a microwave and a refrigerator.

Churches, Nonprofits Victimized By Thefts, Break-Ins

He said he suspected the vandals left in a hurry because the small room was torn up from wall to wall. A closet door was ripped off. An air conditioning machine was damaged. A wire hung from the ceiling where Loyd said the thieves ripped off speakers that allowed members to listen to the sermon from downstairs.

Loyd said the burglary takes a big toll on his small church, which doesn’t have insurance to cover the damage.

Channel 2’s Pam Martin attended the church’s Sunday service, where Loyd gave a sermon on stealing.

He asked each audience member to turn to their neighbor and say, “You don’t need to steal, because God can supply.”

Other nearby centers told Martin that they had been burglarized as well, including New Vision Church next door and Rockdale Cares Inc., a nonprofit that runs an adult day program for the developmentally challenged.

Loyd said that what the burglars don’t realize is that they are also stealing from themselves.

“When you come along and take from something that’s trying to help you, it’s like burning your house down that you live in,” Loyd said.