ATLANTA — Members of a local church on Atlanta's Westside are expressing shock and sadness after they say thieves stole from the church in the dead of summer.
"We know the devil is busy," Pastor Michael Sutton of Dixie Hills First Baptist Church shared. "And things don't stop because we're a church. Mishaps, bad things, it's all around us."
That perspective was acutely felt this month after Sutton said thieves targeted the church's air conditioning units. Cutting through pad locks, thieves gained access to the steel security cage, taking a 5-ton unit while also cutting the lines of the other units in an attempt to steal those as well.
"It's sad that an event like this would take place," Reggie Smith, a member of the church, said. "That someone would try to destroy the property on a church. They don't care."
"People are bold," Pastor Sutton added. "When you have the nerve to steal from God's house, you're really bold."
The sweltering summer heat is adding to the hurt of the theft and monetary loss. The stolen unit is the one that cools the church's Sunday school rooms and fellowship halls.
"I have an older crowd, and it's very important we keep them safe," he said.
Smith meanwhile estimates the unit will take more than $10,000 to replace, and even with insurance, he said the church needs help. Several thousand dollars were also required to repair the damaged units.
The cost, Sutton explained, comes with Dixie Hills First Baptist's 91st anniversary celebration around the corner. As the church works to keep congregation operations and community outreach up and running, he's also hoping for a helping hand.
"God works in mysterious ways," Sutton said, "And I know he will."
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