Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Midtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was burglarized multiple times in the days leading up to Easter Sunday, resulting in an estimated $180,000 in damage and forcing the congregation to switch to virtual services.
The initial break-in at the historic church on North 5th Street was discovered by church members during a scheduled choir rehearsal earlier in the week.
The churchgoers noticed the lights were not working, the doors were damaged, the drawers were open, and the trash was scattered throughout the building, according to a report from Penn Live.
The thieves took valuable copper piping and wiring, ripping out nearly all of it from the basement, along with parts of the air conditioning and HVAC units.
The theft left the church without running water, heat, or air conditioning.
A second break-in occurred on Thursday while church leaders and members were inside assessing the damage.
Surveillance video showed two suspects in the act.
The men fled the scene but abandoned a wagon loaded with more stolen copper pipes and wires.
Pastor Ouemonde Brangman said of the incident, “When we came for choir rehearsal, the first thing everybody knows was the lights were not working, and this door was out in distress. So, of course, we knew something was not right.”
The pastor added that the copper was taken for scrap value and that the intruders “really left the place in a mess.”
He expressed a message of forgiveness in light of the Easter season but stressed accountability, saying, “I want them to know that we pray for them, because at the end of the day, whatever causes people to do this, it’s sad. And so we do understand this is resurrection season. So we do know it’s a time of forgiveness. And so we do forgive those kinds of things, but it’s got to stop. We do not want this to continue in our community.”
Senior Trustee Ray Burnett echoed the frustration and explained to WGAL, “We don’t have any water at this point. Right now, all the copper has been removed from the basement. And the heating unit doesn’t work because those pipes were taken.”
Burnett emphasized the church’s stance, saying, “Just trust God to get us through this. And we have to forgive them. But they need to be caught.”
Good Friday services were already forced to go online, and an in-person Easter Sunday service is also impossible.
Church leaders said services would be held virtually via Zoom or other online platforms.
Harrisburg Police responded to the scene, with officers and a K-9 unit canvassing the area and interviewing neighbors.
No arrests have been publicly reported as of Saturday evening, and police have not released updates on suspects.
The church has launched a GoFundMe campaign titled “Help Restore Bethel A.M.E. Church.”
Organized by longtime member Janet Saxbie, the fundraiser aims to raise $16,000 to cover repairs, replace stolen materials, and restore the building for safe gatherings.
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