Global Church Crime News 03/03/2023

(March 01) Statue Stolen From Historic Mumbai's Byculla Church | India

In the latest incident of vandalism targeting city churches, a statue of St Anthony has been stolen from the wall of the historic Gloria Church, Byculla.

CCTV visuals show the thief breaking the lock of the grille door and decamping with the statue in the night of February 21, right before the start of Lent.

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(March 01) Arson Suspects In Bashaw Church Fire Turn Themselves In To Police | Canada

Two young people were charged with a church arson and multiple counts of mischief after they were identified as suspects at a community meeting earlier this month.

Mounties were called to the St. Michael’s Hungarian Church northwest of Bashaw Feb. 13 on a report that it had burned down the previous evening. The structure was a total loss when RCMP officers arrived at the scene.

It was the latest incident in a “significant amount of vandalism to area churches” observed since the start of the year, said Cpl. Troy Savinkoff with the Alberta RCMP Media Group.

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(March 01) French Evangelical Church Suffers Break-In | France

Thieves smashed a window of the temple in Veneux-les-Sablons and tried to open the collection box. The Baptist congregation suffered acts of vandalism in the past.

The building of the Baptist Evangelical Church of Veneux-les-Sablons (a district of Moret Loing et Orvanne, south of Paris) suffered on Monday 27 February a break-in.

Thieves smashed a window and tried to access several premises, including the room where worship takes place, the pastor of the congregation, Sylvain Felden, told Evangelical Focus.

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(February 28) Pastor Attacked After Invitation To Christian-Muslim Debate | Kenya

A pastor invited to participate in a religion debate by mosque leaders in Uganda was attacked after his arguments ostensibly led to 37 Muslims accepting Christ, sources said.

Muslims who apparently converted to Christianity were among those who assaulted Pastor Arthur Asadi Babi, 42, on Feb. 10, he said. He was hospitalized for eight days in Mbale city’s Nakaloke ward with injuries to soft tissue in his neck, a broken leg, a bone fracture in his hand and swelling of his private parts, said Bishop Michael Okia of the area’s Living Stream Church of Christ.

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(February 26) Church Missionary Robbed, Stabbed And Hospitalized In Colombia | Colombia

An American missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was robbed and then stabbed. He is receiving medical care in Colombia.

The missionary, Elder Maxwell Fish, serving in Popayán, Colombia, was the victim of robbery and then stabbed a few days ago and was placed in a medically induced coma. Fish’s parents are in Colombia, according to a Facebook page where his mother is providing updates.

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