Valley Memorial Baptist Church Vandalized

The church is a place where people come together in an atmosphere of peace and love. Which makes what happened Sunday morning at Valley Memorial Baptist Church so hard to understand for a congregation left with one question, why?

Dorothy Woody, Valley Memorial Baptist Church member said, "We walked in the door and it just broke our hearts." It is what the members of Valley Memorial Baptist Church saw that cuts even deeper. Buddy Woody, Valley Memorial Baptist Church Deacon said, "It seems strange that a person would just come in and destroy, just completely destroy, the church, the classrooms, the pastor’s study, the office, all the equipment." Dorothy Woody said, "It really does to think that they had nothing more to do than to go into God’s House to destroy the little children’s classrooms and the nursery, to tear the beds up and to do the things that they did to the monitors and for no reason. There’s just no reason to it."

Damage to the church in Lookout Valley is estimated at more than 100 thousand dollars. The hurt and pain felt by those who call the church their own simply has no price tag. Dorothy Woody said, "It was a shock to see what they did do, the damage and for all the members that came in, they were all shocked too."  Buddy Woody said, "It don’t seem they came in to steal anything, all though there are a few items missing like mics, a couple of guitars, nothing of real value but just so much damage to the interior of the building from holes in the wall and pews turned over. Dorothy Woody said, "We just can’t figure why someone would do this."

Even in the midst of such total devastation, signs are all around them of the good that will comes out of such a terrible act. Dorothy Woody said, "We will work it out and it will make us stronger Christians and closer to God and we will just keep on keeping on." Buddy Woody said, "We bind together in love. This won’t stop the church. We can repair the building. We’ve got to hold the church together."

If anyone has information on this act of vandalism, they are urged to contact the Chattanooga Police Department.