We would like to thank the people of Ellijay for their thoughts and prayers during our recent misfortune at Berean Baptist Church.
Words cannot express the feelings that we felt when we arrived at the church on Sunday morning to discover the mess that was left by vandals.
Shortly after the discovery, the Gilmer County Sheriffs Department was notified. It was apparent at the scene that Detective Lane Bennett and Sheriff Stacy Nicholson were sincerely appalled by the chaos and clutter that was left behind. Because of the quick investigation by Detective Bennett, the perpetrators were captured within a few hours after our discovery, and were in custody.
In the days following the vandalism, Detective Bennett kept in touch with members of the church to keep them abreast of the situation. His determination and dedication to his investigation was quite admirable. We would like to publicly commend him and Sheriff Nicholson for their efforts in helping Berean Baptist Church move forward.
We would also like to thank the churches and members of the Ellijay community for their contributions. Their charity has helped with clean-up expenses and repairs necessary to the church.
May God continue to bless each of you.
Joey and Lindy Patterson
Ellijay