FIRST ON 3: Church targeted in Christmas Eve break-in

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington church must replace almost $15,000 in electronics after a Christmas Eve break-in.

Members say they found a rock and a shattered window in the nursery at Winter Park Baptist Church.

Associate Pastor Mike Womble says somebody had thrown a rock through the window and crawled inside. Then he says it looks like they went through the church taking things along the way.

“Keyboards, soundboards and stuff like that,” Womble said. “So we continued to walk the church and found more equipment that was missing throughout the church.”

It was equipment they needed for their Christmas Eve services.

“The first service is aimed to families and children, so it’s fun and interactive with some good music, upbeat music and little plastic candles with batteries,” Womble said. “For the second service, it was like real candles and traditional hymns.”

The two traditions continued despite the robbery.

“It was amazing, because so many church members gathered together, and we actually had some old equipment that we had in storage, and we were able to put all that back into place, and Christmas eve went without a hitch,” Womble said.

It was a Christmas Eve they weren’t expecting, but an inconvenience that Womble says was only minor.

“Having a few things stolen from our church is nothing compared to what some in the community have to face,” he said.

And as for the person who did it, Womble says they thought of him, too.

“At the end of the day it was interesting,” Womble said. “Our music minister sent out a text that said, ‘Don’t forget to pray for the thief,’ because he wasn’t able to take away Christmas.”

Womble says the Wilmington Police Department is investigating the break-in, but they have to wait until after the holidays to speak with the insurance company to replace the stolen equipment.