News by email Donate

Suggestions

Top Stories

Most Read

Popular Videos

St-Margaret-s-Church-Rainham_article_image.jpg
Facebook
UK News

Church thieves cause up to £10k damage only to steal less than £200 in charity pot

by Tola Mbakwe

The vicar at St Margaret's church in Rainham said someone broke into the historic church some time on Saturday night.

Rev Nathan Ward said they smashed a stain glass window and surrounding stonework. The damages will cost up to £10,000 to repair.

"The sad thing is that they have seriously damaged one of our old stained glass windows and they seem to have taken very little. There is almost no money kept in the church in any case.
He said the suspects left with £200 from the church's charity pot.

"We've been serving local people for 900 years. If people need help you don't need to break in, we'll help you. That's the tragedy of it all," Rev Ward added.

The church office was also ransacked and the CCTV camera was stolen. However, the vicar said the break-in will not "dampen spirits" as Christmas approaches.

Just Giving

"This is a season where we especially think of those whose lives have taken a wrong turn and would welcome an opportunity to meet with those involved so we can help and support them. We bear no ill will."

Police were called to the church art 7:40am on Sunday and were also responding to another break-in at nearby St Thomas of Canterbury in London Road.

The church made arrangements for the congregation to worship at other services in the local area on Sunday as police began their investigation.

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.

A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference

In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.

Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.

For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.

Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.

Support Us
Continue the conversation on our Facebook page

Related Articles

Sign up to our newsletter to stay informed with news from a Christian perspective.

News by email

Connect

Donate

Donate