MACON, Ga. — A South Carolina man now knows how long he will have to spend behind bars after setting fire to a church in middle Georgia in 2024.
The man claimed that a verse in the Bible led him to burn the church.
Luke Andrew Westefeld, 35, of North Augusta, South Carolina, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release July 9.
Westefeld pleaded guilty in April to one count of malicious use of fire for the fire at Byron United Methodist Church (now Byron Heritage Church), in Byron, in Aug. 20, 2024.
He had asked women who were members of the church for water. They declined to provide it, saying they feared for their safety.
Westefeld broke into the church later that night, setting fire to the American and Methodist flags in the sanctuary, the church office and the church van.
He claimed he became enraged when the candles in the sanctuary were not lit and that checks and money remained in the church office.
Westefeld said he noticed that the Bible on the pulpit was opened to Ezekiel 24:21, which spoke of the desecration of the sanctuary due to sin. He claimed it was sign for him to burn the church.
“The act of setting fire to a place of worship is not just an attack on a building, it’s an assault on the community’s spirit,” said ATF Atlanta’s Resident Agent in Charge Robert W. Davis. “We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure justice is served.”
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