Category: News

Five church buildings vandalized in same Texas community

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William Desjardins

Police in Texas are looking for a man caught on video vandalizing a church building. Officers in the US say the individual may be responsible for five additional criminal acts at buildings belonging to other congregations.

Security cameras caught video of a man inside the Missionary Baptist Church of Hughes Springs, Texas, where offices were ransacked and money set aside for a congregation member’s funeral was stolen. Nearby Turkey Creek Baptist church and New Colony Baptist Church had damage to their buildings that appeared to have happened in a similar manner. Two other churches have been targeted since January.

Police have not said why the vandals targeted specifically church buildings.

Halifax Regional Police arrest men accused in five church burglaries

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Jeff Turner

Two men are charged with a string of burglaries that happened at church buildings in Dartmouth, N.S. late last year. Investigators in the General Investigation Section of the Criminal Investigation Division say both men are 28. One is a resident of Dartmouth and the other is of Timberlea.

The break-ins happened between September 17 and 20. Congregations whose buildings were damaged as the pair stole their property include South End Baptist Church, Lutheran Church of our Savior, Church of the Holy Spirit, Grace Baptist Church, and St. James United Church.

Police have not said why the men targeted churches.

A press release issued late Friday says the accused men are scheduled to appear in Dartmouth Provincial Court.

What others are reporting:

Chronicle Herald: Two men charged in rash of break-ins at Dartmouth churches

CTVNews: Two men charged with breaking into five Dartmouth churches

Halifax Today: Two charged in break-ins at multiple Dartmouth churches

Rowdy passenger causes a scare for The Isaacs as they head to Texas for a church concert

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Jeff Turner

The Isaacs had quite an interesting flight on Friday as they traveled to San Antonio, Texas for a concert at Cornerstone Church. A disorderly passenger assaulted a flight attendant before getting into a scuffle with a passenger. That’s a dangerous situation aboard an aircraft.  The flight had to make an unscheduled landing in Arkansas so that police on the ground could take custody of the passenger.

No other passengers were injured in the incident.

Here’s a video of their first-hand account:

The concert went on as planned in spite of the crazy trip to Texas.

This building is not the church! Worshipers hold service in front of church building hours after destructive fire

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William Desjardins

A church building in Dallas, Texas is a total loss following a fire Thursday.

A fire department spokesperson said fire was reported at the New Light Church in Dallas’ Pleasant Grove community around 1:30 a.m.  The building was fully involved with flames when the first crew arrived.

The Pastor of the church did a Facebook Live to show the destruction.

“This is not the New Life Church.  This is where the New Life Church congregates…. It is not the body, the members of the church, that’s the body of the New Life Church.  Tonight the Body is still intact,” said Pastor Marian Rabb standing in front of the rubble left by the fire.

An arson investigator said they received a report of a man walking away from the back of the church building around the time the fire started. It is not yet known if the fire is a case of arson.

Historic chapel set ablaze in Georgia, US officials seek arsonist

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1/11/2021 UPDATE: The Associated Press is reporting that inspectors have confirmed the fire was intentionally set.

Jeff Turner

Authorities in the US say a fire at an historic chapel in Georgia was intentionally set.

A spokesperson for the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said emergency crews were called to the Smith Chapel Church in Bowdon, Georgia around 12 p.m. Monday. The church building was fully engulfed in flame when the first emergency worker arrived.

“We believe at this point the fire was intentionally set and we are asking anyone who was in the area and may have witnessed anything unusual between 10 am and 2 pm to contact Investigator Brandon Wiggins,” said the spokesperson.

The sheriff’s office as of Tuesday afternoon has not determined a motive for the crime.

Historic Rural Churches is an organization that seeks to document and preserve historic church buildings.  Its website says the chapel has stood since 1851.