Huntingburg church vandalized

A Huntingburg church was vandalized sometime between Saturday and Wednesday evening this week.

House of Prayer, a small church built in 1954 by Theodore Kendall located at 708 E 10th Street, is commonly subject to random acts of vandalism. Security lights have been broken, boards kicked in, and a statue of the ten commandments has been cracked.

Sometime between Saturday and Wednesday, a more personal attack was made on the church. “Your religion is a false one” and “hail satan” were written on two doors to the church.

“When I saw it I was hurt and I felt we were outcast for our beliefs,” Tina Dearing, the church secretary, said. “The slander on our front doors is a hate crime. This is no different than someone throwing a brick through a Muslim mosque or anything like that. ”

According to Huntingburg Assistant Chief of Police Ronnie Bowman, the officer investigating the complaint has contacted the schools to find out what juveniles get off the bus in the area. But Bowman says the police don’t have much to go on; the church doesn’t have security cameras and no witnesses have come forward.

Assistant pastor Vince Dearing said the church has had about $500 in damages done to it in the past year. The most recent act will cost the 50 member congregation about $300 to repair.

“We are talking about putting up cameras now,” he said.

In the meantime, Vince asks that anyone with information please contact 683-4799.

“Maybe it will stop this from happening again.”