Purcell church ransacked after pastor dies from COVID-19

PURCELL, Okla. – A Purcell church was burglarized just two days after their pastor of 20 years passed away due to COVID-19 complications.

It happened late Friday night.

“Somebody came out here and helped themselves to everything,” Mark Brown, maintenance manager at Johnson Road Baptist Church, told News 4. “Lost our computers and we had amplifiers under here. They’re all gone. We had a whole array of microphones. They even took the microphone off the pulpit.”

The thieves hit every room, from the sanctuary, to the kitchen and the administrative offices.

“I had a bunch of mechanical tools in here, wrenches, screw drivers and stuff,” said Brown, showing News 4 the kitchen. “This is all that’s left of about a 60 piece silverware set.”

The church’s security cameras are also missing.

“Right above that exit sign was one of our security cameras that they tore off the wall. All of the indoor security cameras are gone,” Brown said.

In the pastor’s office, the burglars stole the whole security system, ripping the wiring out of the wall and stole the computer from the desk.

“It was a big blow to us, really hurt a lot of people,” Brown said.

The timing is horrific, because Brown said the church lost their pastor, Wayne Brown, just two days before the burglary.

“He just was stricken with the coronavirus and it really took him fast. He, within a week from the time he started showing symptoms, he was gone,” Brown said.

So, with an empty building and the loss of a beloved pastor, the congregation is hurting.  They’re hoping Purcell police find the suspects.

“They did steal a bible. So maybe they’ll read that,” Brown said.