KCMO church burglarized, still searching for answers

Posted: Dec 18, 2021 / 02:56 PM CST
/ Updated: Dec 18, 2021 / 04:51 PM CST

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A church in Kansas City, Missouri was recently burglarized and now the members and the community are searching for answers.

Gregg Tabernacle African Methodist Episcopal Church leaders have conducted worship, Bible study, and business via virtual platforms. But, on Nov 21, the church allowed people to come back in the sanctuary with the plan to meet face-to-face on the first and third Sundays as they ease our way back into some sense of normalcy.

Everything changed on Dec 11.

Pastor Brenda J. Smith arrived at the church around 11 a.m. to meet with missionaries who had collected bras for the Samuel Rogers Health Center and noticed the door to the conference room and kitchen were open.

“We left all doors closed,” Smith said. However, every door, cabinet, and drawer in our educational building were open.”

Missing items included a 65 inch TV, a sound system and speakers, computers, and the church’s heritage Bible taken from the sanctuary.

“There was nothing of value on the third floor, which was the entry point,” Smith said. “I can only assume that the intruders cut through our courtyard fence and used the fire escape to get to the third floor and enter through the windows.”

“The two windows on the third level were open, and the screen was broken off of one of them.”

Smith said the church would raise money to install a security system.

Smith said the church is still planning to meet in person as safely as possible.

“Now is the time for us to forge ahead in faith that God will make way for us to continue to serve and bless His name in the process,” Smith said. “We forgive those who disturbed our peace. They took our “stuff” but not our faith.

Anyone with information should contact the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.

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