OKC Church Feels The Heat Thanks To Thieves

Michael Konopasek, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- It was a bit warmer for parishioners at one Oklahoma City church this Sunday. Two air conditioning units were stolen from the Father's House Christian Fellowship Church at Northwest 19th and McKinley.

The church still has one AC unit which helped cool down the sanctuary and allowed services to continue Sunday. The congregation is left praying for those who stole the units and hoping for their return.

When Pastor Donald Scruggs arrived on the job this Sunday, you can imagine his surprise when one of the church elders asked, "Did you have the units? Are they being repaired [or] worked on?"

"No, they're not," responded Scruggs in a surprised manner.

The units that serviced the Church's Sunday school classrooms and dining area had vanished.

"[They were] just cut and just taken," Scruggs said.

The units were last seen on Wednesday and will be sorely missed in the middle of an already hot summer.

"With the weather being that it is, I'd hate to have anyone here not have air conditioning," Scruggs said.

The church is small, not just the building, but the congregation, too. Which means the cost of replacing the units is expected to create a great impact on the church's budget.

"It's a burden to us, and I've already been in contact with the insurance, which is not going to cover it," Scruggs said.

The first step for the people of this church is not to be bitter or assign blame but to pray for those who took the units.

"We're not mad," Scruggs said. "We're not angry. In order for us to be forgiven, we've got to forgive."

The church says it is going to need help in order to replace the units. If you would like to help, you are urged to call, 405-410-2567.

We're told police do not have any leads on who may have stolen the units.