KSWO 7 News reporter Kathryn Gisi, recently did an interview on our church music director about the gas that was stolen from our buses back on April 14th. See the interview and read the report from that interview. Please excuse the advertisement on the video. It is placed there by KSWO.
The Bible Baptist Church on Lee Boulevard has been hit again by gas thieves.Two buses used to tote children to and from church has fallen victim to gas thefts twice in two days.
The congregation feels violated, especially during a time where money is tight for both the church and its members.
The music director, Andrew Lippert, told 7News the vans were hit twice this weekend, once on Friday and once on Saturday. Both hits ended up costing the church just under $200.00 in gas. But they say money is not the real issue, it’s the principle.
It is not what these thieves are stealing or how much they are getting away with, it is who the thieves are stealing from that deeply offends the folks at Bible Baptist Church. “They’re not stealing from us, they’re stealing from God,” said Lippert.
Andrew Lippert thinks he knows how the thieves made off with the gas. He says they drained the tanks from underneath the bus into five gallon containers.To combat this issue, church officials have parked strategically by getting these two busses as close to one another as they can, making it nearly impossible for these gas thieves to have access to the tanks.
The big busses are no ordinary vehicles, they make it possible for children who may not have a ride or a willing parent to get to church. “Every Sunday they go out and pick them up and bring them in. We have about right at 50 kids that are coming to church and learning about Jesus,” said Lippert.
Andrew Lippert says if these thieves really needed the gas, they should have just asked. “We would typically go down and try to help them out. Take them down to the gas station and give them some gas at the gas station,” said Lippert. He says they will never turn down a person in need, just as long as they are honoring commandment number eight: ‘Thou shalt not steal.’ “Well, it’s what god’s people are for, to help out people. But we don’t want them just coming and taking it,” said Lippert.
Andrew Lippert says this act of theft is no different than if the thieves walked into the sanctuary during a service and stole directly out of the offering plate.The church plans on heightening their security by installing cameras around the parking lot.
Reported by Kathryn Gisi, Reporter, KSWO News 7