Church sign letters rearranged into slur

ATLANTA — A local church pastor wants neighbors to know his church isn't responsible for offensive language displayed on the church's sign.

People who passed by the Blessed Life A.O.H. Church of God on Glenwood Avenue were stunned when they saw a derogatory term referring to prostitution on the lettered sign.

Neighbor Beau Dameier told Channel 2's Amy Napier Viteri he didn't think the church had anything to do with it.

"No. no. I'm sure they're going to be furious when they found out it was put up, probably talk about it in their sermon on Sunday," Dameier said.

"I think it's offensive and I think they should remove the sign. Like, right now," said neighbor Curtis Hill.

A passerby eventually removed the offending letters and put them on the church doorstep. Church Pastor William T. Walker had no idea someone had tampered with the sign when Viteri contacted him.

"My first reaction, who would be, you know, low enough to do that?" Walker said.
 
He said his church would never condone that kind of language and wants neighbors to know that as well.

"That's what bothers me. What the people in the neighborhood would think that we would put up a sign like that," Walker said.

Walker also had a message for the person who put the message on the sign.

"We still love them and we'll be praying for them."

He said this is the second time in a year someone has tampered with the sign. Previously, vandals covered it in graffiti.

WSBTV