A conference room in the Quality Inn, 1200 W. Gannon Drive, in Festus that the New Beginnings Baptist Church rents and meets at recently was vandalized and burglarized. The church was preparing to present the play, “A Christmas Carol,” and some of the costumes for the production were stolen, said Julie Norris, wife of pastor Wayne Norris.
She said the damage and thefts were discovered Nov. 26 and the congregation had not met at the hotel since the prior Sunday, Nov. 19.
“We found the room had been trashed,” Norris said. “Someone had defecated in a trash can. The door was off the hinges. A prop pencil (used in performances) was used to scratch a swastika in a table.”
Norris said church members had planned to put on two performances of “A Christmas Carol” on Sunday, Dec. 3, but are scrambling to replace the costumes.
Festus Police Capt. Lewis Pippin said today, Dec. 1, that the church had reported the incident but does not want to prosecute. He said the hotel doesn’t want to prosecute either, but the Police Department is trying to get video surveillance from the hotel to view it.
Wayne Norris said he isn’t prosecuting because it didn’t want to cause the hotel any trouble and it doesn’t want to alarm its members.
Julie Norris said a similar incident happened at the church’s space at the hotel about a month earlier.
“The first time was before Halloween,” she said. “It feels as though we’re being targeted.”
If anyone would like to help the church replace its costumes, call her at 347-239-2258.
Anyone with information is urged to call Festus Police at 636-937-3646.