Vandals destroy historic Holts Summit church and its new location on Thanksgiving eve
HOLTS SUMMIT — On Thanksgiving eve, the old Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church and its new church, both with a long history of being vandalized, were once again damaged, this time by vandals who knocked down walls, shot out windows and doors, lit fireworks in the building, tore down the original podium, and much more.
Mt. Vernon was established in Holts Summit by slaves in the early 1800s and was rebuilt in 1869, Pastor Gordon Coleman said.
This small building has been the place of worship for a small predominately African American congregation for nearly two centuries. The vandals destroyed the place where many souls were saved, people fed and spirits uplifted.
The church still stands on its original foundation constructed from logs cut and carried by a horse and buggy, according to Michelle Johnson, the director of technology and assistant treasurer of the church.
"Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church is a church that I love," Johnson said in a Facebook post.
Johnson's mother Lynne was devastated when she saw the damage.
Lynne along with Debra Reynolds have a deep connection to the church.
“Our ancestors started this years ago the foundation is trees from her grandfather ... logs from her grandfather and my grandfather with a horse dragging it the wood, the lumber here to build to build this church this church right here," Johnson said.
She described Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church as a small country church that serves as a "safe haven" with a rich history.
It’s a safe haven, it’s our peace of mind, it's rich history comforts us, my grandmother, grandfather, father, daughter, brother, and loved ones are buried there. Mt. Vernon cemetery has unmarked graves of black civil war soldiers, slaves and black convicts dating back to the early 1800s.
When the congregation outgrew the old historic church, Johnson said they tirelessly worked to raise money to build a new church, which they broke ground on Sept. 11, 2001.
The rich history of the old church and the fresh start at the new church has been tainted by years of vandalism, Johnson said.
As long as I can remember, Mt. Vernon has experienced vandalism. Our mailboxes were burned down, windows broken and shot out, beer cans strewn over the cemetery, tombstones destroyed, trash thrown at the church, and the doors at the old and new churches were kicked in along with much more destruction.
Coleman noted the vandalism happens around the same time each year, but this year was the most destructive.
In the wake of this destruction, Johnson said they installed cameras and lights over the church, which have been continuously knocked down and destroyed.
Despite their efforts to protect the old and new churches, they again were vandalized. This time on the eve of Thanksgiving by vandals who destroyed the old church and many items that were there preserving its history.
In a Facebook post, Pastor Gordon Coleman shared the news saying,
I share with a heavy heart that our beloved church Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church in Holts Summit, Missouri has been the victim of terrible vandalism.
In the old church, Johnson said they "knocked down walls, shot out windows and doors, shot fireworks in the church edifice, pulled out the heating and cooling unit, destroyed carpeting, turned over and broke pews, tore down the original podium, turned over our refrigerator and stove, and destroyed the ceiling fans."
Johnson shared 30 photos of windows being broken, pews knocked over and walls being torn apart.
One photo showed a toilet that had been broken to pieces.
In the new church, Johnson said they broke all the cameras, broke the windows, tore out the alarms, and left sternos burning in the storage room.
Although heartbreaking, Pastor Coleman said they were grateful that the vandalism at the new church was not as severe.
Thankfully the vandalism that occurred at the new church God blessed us with was not as severe. Please pray that this type of evil ends and that God will give us the resources and strength to restore this His historic building.
According to Johnson, the Callaway County Sheriff's Office is leading an investigation into the destruction.
We are really concerned about these acts of vandalism and believe the community should be aware of what has occurred. Please share this post in hopes we can find the individuals who are responsible for the destruction to God’s house.
In a Facebook post, the Callaway County Sheriff's Office asked for the public's help finding the vandals responsible for the "despicable and quite offensive" damage done to the churches.
On this Thanksgiving day, we'd be very thankful for the community's assistance with providing tips reference the burglary and vandalism of the Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church outside of Holts Summit," the Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.
The sheriff's office is asking the public to provide tips that will help lead to the arrests of those who are responsible. Tips may be provided anonymously by contacting Crimestopper's online at callawaysheriff.org/crime-stoppers or by calling 573-592-2474. Any tips directly leading to the arrest of those responsible will be subject to a monetary reward.
Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church is not using GoFundMe. Any GoFundMe pages that are being used are not being administered by the church.
