Local

Vandals desecrate Downtown church with feces

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It's a disturbing and disgusting sight for anyone to find, but especially church members.

Police are trying to figure out who desecrated a downtown Jacksonville church.

Pastor Alonzo Cunningham had to put on some gloves to handle a dirty job Saturday morning.

“Just unbelievable. I mean you can recognize what it is from the parking lot, just unbelievable,” Cunningham said.

Fecal matter was smeared across the United House of Prayer for All People Church's doors, windows and door handles.

“This is the Lord's house,” Cunningham said.

But vandals didn't care. Police were at the church investigating when Action News arrived. The pastor says he got to the church around 10:45 a.m. to prepare for noon day service, but saw his church tarnished.

“[I’ve never] experienced anything like this, it's the first time, horrible,” he said.

The lamp posts are broken, light fixtures were thrown on top of the roof, and the barbecue grill was stolen.

Longtime church member Clarence Taylor pitched in to clean up the mess.

“It's disgusting though I don't know why anybody would do it,” Taylor said.

The pastor told Action News he knows it's easy for people to climb over the fence, so anyone could have done the vandalism – but he doesn’t know why.

“Whoever did this, the Lord will hold them accountable for it,” Cunningham said.

The pastor said despite having to clean up this mess, he and churchgoers will be back here for service tonight at 7:30 p.m.