by Al Summers
News Editor • alsummers@timescourier.com
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Pages from songbooks cover the floor at Berean Baptist Church Sunday morning
after vandals tore the books apart and damaged the sanctuary in other ways.
Two juveniles have confessed to committing the crime. Photo by Al Summers
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The members of Berean Baptist Church in southwestern Gilmer County arrived for services Sunday morning, March 12, to find that their sanctuary and fellowship hall had been vandalized to the point where they could not hold services. The perpetrators were arrested Sunday evening and have confessed to the crime.
Two Caucasian, male juveniles, ages 14 and 15 years, were arrested within hours after the crime was reported. They confessed to their crime in Gilmer County Juvenile Court Monday morning, March 13.
While vandalizing the sanctuary, the two boys overturned the pulpit, threw gravel across the sanctuary, put hot glue on the keys of the piano, tore pages out of songbooks, broke glass, hung toilet paper from the chandeliers, poured water and cleaning liquids on the carpet leaving it discolored, and pushed holes in the ceiling.
The fellowship hall’s floor was covered with food and the dust of a bag of flour that had been opened and strewn across the room. Graffiti was located in a number of places in the room. Drinks were opened and strewn across the room. Food items were mashed into the floor.
Gilmer County Detective Lane Bennett told the Times-Courier, “Literally tens of thousands of dollars of damage was done to the church building.” From observations at the scene, carpet will have to be replaced, pews will have to be cleaned, and the ceiling will have to be repaired in the sanctuary.
Gilmer County Sheriff Stacy Nicholson spent a couple of hours at the scene, and commended Det. Bennett and neighbors in the area who came by to offer information on things they had seen. “We are sorry this incident happened, especially at a house of worship. We are glad the perpetrators who are responsible have been apprehended and our thoughts are with the Berean congregation as they clean up and move forward.”