Delta Police are investigating after a local church was vandalized with anti-Christian graffiti.
Maintenance chair Bryan Hodgins discovered the disturbing message scrawled on the side of Crossroads United Church on the morning of Nov. 10. Hodgins immediately contacted police and took pictures of the graffiti that read 害羞草研究所淜ill All Christans (sic) 害羞草研究所� god is not real.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 very disturbing, especially for a lot of our older parishioners who have to walk by this thing to get into the church,害羞草研究所� Hodgins said. 害羞草研究所淚n light of things like [the shooting in] Texas this last week, you hope it害羞草研究所檚 a harmless prank but who knows?害羞草研究所�
On Nov. 5 a 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 people and injuring 20 others.
害羞草研究所淚 think the concern here is just given what kind of events are happening in the world these days, particularly the actual shooting in Texas of people in a church, that kind of hate speech 害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 hate speech, there害羞草研究所檚 no other word for it 害羞草研究所� is particularly concerning,害羞草研究所� said Rev. Cari Copeman-Haynes, lead minister at Crossroads United Church.
害羞草研究所淵ou think about all the good this congregation is doing in the community 害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 a pretty stark response to what we consider a positive presence for people who are struggling in our community.害羞草研究所�
The incident was the second time in a week that the church had been vandalized, with both incidents occurring on the exact same patch of the sanctuary害羞草研究所檚 curved wall. However, Copeman-Haynes said, the previous incident was a smaller, more generic tagging.
害羞草研究所淓ven though we were trying valiantly to get it off of the concrete wall, it provided enough of an invitation to whoever this person was to really expand both the square footage and take the message in a way more malevolent direction,害羞草研究所� she said.
Copeman-Haynes has been a minister at Crossroads for nine years, and six before that when the congregation was known as St. John害羞草研究所檚-Strawberry Hill, and said she害羞草研究所檚 never seen vandalism of this nature that at the church.
害羞草研究所淚 think there may have been more of the tagging kind of graffiti in that earlier era. Since we害羞草研究所檝e been Crossroads there害羞草研究所檚 been nothing like that at all until this moment,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 indicative of the kind of polarization and intolerance and anxiety, for want of a better word, just generalized anxiety and blame that is kind of the public conversation.害羞草研究所�
Delta Police public affairs coordinator Sharlene Brooks said in an email that the vandalism at Crossroads appears to be an isolated incident, adding she couldn害羞草研究所檛 recall anything of a similar nature occurring in the recent past. Brooks said police have yet to identify any suspects but are monitoring to see if similar incidents occur elsewhere.
The paint used is sticking rather tenaciously to the raw concrete wall and Hodgins said he害羞草研究所檚 having a hard time removing the graffiti. On top of that, tape and the like don害羞草研究所檛 stay on the wall long, making it impossible to temporarily cover up the offending message.
Hodgins is waiting for an assessment from a professional graffiti removal company, but failing that the only remedy would be to paint over that part of the wall. Regardless, he said, getting rid of the graffiti will likely end up costing the church thousands of dollars.
害羞草研究所淧utting it in real terms it害羞草研究所檚 probably going to cost several of our community dinners 害羞草研究所� not that we害羞草研究所檇 cancel the community dinners, but the cost will be equivalent to putting on at least one or two of them,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not a harmless prank; there are victims.害羞草研究所�
editor@northdeltareporter.com
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