Vandals Cause Thousands Of Dollars In Damage At Metro Church

A local church is out thousands of dollars after vandals destroyed parts the building. Grace United Methodist Church officials said the clean-up and repairs will take several more days. Crews were out Wednesday repairing the heating and air unit that was destroyed. The pastor estimates the damages to be at or more than $2,000.

Members of the long-standing northwest Oklahoma City church are still cleaning up a mess left from the weekend. Pastor Bryan Tener said based on the amount of damage, he thinks more than one person is behind the vandalism. The vandals busted out a window in a door to get inside. Once inside the building, they ransacked meeting rooms, the nursery, closets and the kitchen.

“Each room we walked into,” said Pastor Bryan Tener, Grace United Methodist Church, "there was another mess to be cleaned. The further we went back, the more we looked, the more damage we saw.”

Tener and church members spent all day Saturday cleaning up glass, trash and organizing closets to prepare for Sunday services. Community breakfasts and mobile meals are on hold until the kitchen pantry can be re-stocked. He says the refrigerator doors were left open, spoiling the food inside. Amazingly, nothing was stolen from the church.

“We have plenty of things they could have taken,” said Tener. “They didn’t, so we’re thankful for that.”

He is not sure why someone would break into a church.

“Violate that sense of safety that you feel,” said Tener. “Like you have coming into a church building.”

But the church will continue to open its doors to any and all.

“It’s tough,” said Tener. “But at the same time, we’re a people of grace.”

Several windows still need to be replaced and closets organized. The pastor says they will do what they can, when they can.