Gilroy
– The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the
suspects who smashed the doors and windows of the Family Worship
Center in San Martin the night of Friday, Nov. 26, and stole a
small amount of cash from a drop box.
By Lori Stuenkel
Gilroy – The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the suspects who smashed the doors and windows of the Family Worship Center in San Martin the night of Friday, Nov. 26, and stole a small amount of cash from a drop box.
Pastor Drake Fenn said he arrived at the church early Saturday morning to prepare for a service and found the front doors were smashed with rocks and several front widows were shattered.
“They came in and rummaged through the sanctuary, they broke into the administrative office and kind of ransacked that,” Fenn said.
In the center’s tape duplicating office, the suspects stole “a little bit of money” that was in a drop box for people ordering video recordings.
“We feel very fortunate that nobody did take any of our equipment, or anything like that,” Fenn said.
Family Worship Center has been at 425 E. Middle Ave. in San Martin for nearly nine years, he said.
“We’ve never had a problem like this before,” Fenn said. “Personally, I think it’s pretty sad when people start breaking into churches or mosques or synagogues or anything that is a place of worship.”
Damage to the center is estimated at $2,000, because a front door needs to be replaced. The attack does not appear to be religiously motivated, Fenn said, because the burglars did not leave any graffiti or deface religious objects.
The South Valley Interfaith Clergy Association, which seeks to create bonds between the area’s diverse religious organizations, has taken up a collection to help the Family Worship Center pay for repairs. The association is asking that contributions be sent directly to the San Martin church. Anything received above the expenses will be donated to charitable causes in South County.
The clergy association released a statement condemning the burglary.
“Though glad that this break-in does not appear to be religiously motivated, we as an organization hold as an essential part of our charter to unanimously and vigorously oppose any act of violence or hatred in our community, whether directed at a religious or secular organization. We hold Pastors Drake and Grace Fenn and their congregation in our hearts and prayers as they work to make their way through the sense of violation that accompanies any such criminal activity.”
The Family Worship Center also hosts community meetings, such as those of the San Martin Planning Advisory Committee.
