MACON, Ga. — Heavy traffic passes on Vineville Avenue every day with a clear view of Vineville Baptist Church.
Early Monday morning, the church had some visitors, but they weren't looking to worship.
"It's just sad that somebody would stoop to stealing a church van," says Pastor Richard Kremer.
According to a Bibb County Sheriff's Office incident report, the church's security camera footage shows two men in the parking lot for nearly 90 minutes.
"At 2 in the morning, we don't keep a security guard, and we do have security systems, but they're not necessarily sophisticated enough," says Kremer.
The church van usually sits in a parking spot by floodlights. That way, it's brightly-lit for security cameras, but these thieves were snooping around in the shadows, so their images weren't picked up very well.
Kremer says they use the 15-passenger van for outings like youth trips and Christmas caroling.
Now, for upcoming events, they need a new ride.
"Usually, when you find vehicles, if you're lucky enough to find them, they usually aren't worth driving again," says Kremer.
He says unfortunately, this isn't the first time something was stolen from the church.
"Whether they are trying to steal mission money, Sunday offering, or heist a vehicle, they don't think of them as a sacred place, they think of them as a place for opportunity," says Kremer.
He says they are looking to beef up their security so this doesn't happen again.
Anyone with information on this case can call the sheriff's office at (478)-751-7500.
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