Bishop DaCosta (left) and a church member watch as a policeman dust for fingerprints. - George Henry

For the third time in less than a year, the Sanguinetti New Testament Church of God in Clarendon has been the scene of sacrilege. The latest case took place on Good Friday.

The thieves broke into the church and removed equipment including amplifiers, a cross-over and a number of cables for speaker boxes. They also broke off the door to the tuck shop and removed several items of food and beverage, as well as breaking into the pastor's office and ransacking it.

costly attack

Although not being able to put a cost on the stolen property, officer at the church, Glendon McDonald, told THE STAR that theft has been costing the Sanguinetti Church a lot of money over the past year.

He stated that on the three occasions that the church has been broken into, costly items have been removed which has deprived the church of well-needed funds, even as the membership tries to grapple with their costly refurbishing programme hampered by a shortage of funds.

As for the latest case of sacrilege, McDonald said it was discovered by a member of the church who was on her way to work on Saturday morning.

"When I reached the premises, I saw the main door to the church which we locked after Good Friday service, opened. When I went to the tuck shop I also saw where the door was forced open, and all the drinks and other items from the well-stocked fridge after our annual rally were all gone," said officer McDonald.

not daunted

Pastor for the church, Bishop Barrington DaCosta, told THE STAR that his church will not be daunted by the thefts. He said the work of God must continue and he will be leaving all judgements to the Lord who already knows how to deal with the thieves, who have been preying on the house of worship.

When members of the church turned up for worship on Sunday, they had to wait for a while until the crime scene was processed.

The breaking in of the Sanguinetti New Testament Church follows a string of break-ins which have been affecting New Testament churches in central Jamaica over the past two weeks.

The Kellits New Testament Church in northern Clarendon was also broken into on Good Friday and several items removed. The Chantilly New Testament Church in north east Manchester was broken into last Wednesday and all its windows removed; and two weeks ago, the Bible Baptist Church also in north east Manchester had all itswindows removed by thieves.