A trailer containing hundreds of Holy Bibles was set on fire and abandoned outside a Tennessee evangelical church on Easter Sunday.
Mt. Juliet Police and Fire Department officers responded to a suspicious fire at the intersection of Old Lebanon Dirt Road and Chandler Road outside Global Vision Bible Church.
Officers reported that the trailer had been left in the middle of the intersection and had been “intentionally set on fire.” WKRN News reported.
Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church, who had returned from Israel a day earlier, was shocked when he learned what happened at his church on the holy day.
Easter weekend, including Easter Sunday and Good Friday, is the most sacred celebration in the Christian calendar.
The trailer of Holy Bibles that were burned and abandoned outside the Global Vision Bible Church
Around 200 sacred books were burned in front of the church. Pictured: A close-up image of the charred verses. The incident occurred on Easter Sunday, part of the most sacred weekend of celebration in the Christian calendar.
The Mt. Juliet Fire Department and police arrived at the scene early Easter Sunday morning. Rescuers deliver the burned black trailer
Locke told members in a Facebook post that the church’s security cameras captured a man at 6 a.m. on Easter leaving a trailer full of Bibles before setting fire to the trailer and the Bibles.
Locke, who lives near the church, said he was unaware of what happened until he arrived at the church Sunday morning.
In his social media post, he posted photos of burnt Bibles, fire trucks and police vehicles dealing with the disturbing incident.
He wrote that a woman, who had driven all night to get to her church, was in the parking lot at the time the fire broke out and was able to call the police, who responded quickly.
‘A trailer with about 200 Bibles had been set on fire blocking the Old Lebanon Dirt Rd. and Chandler Radford Rd. entrance to the main part of our parking lot,’ the pastor said.
He added: “It was quite a scene waking up on my first morning back from Israel.”
Despite the ordeal, she wrote in her post, “It’s going to be a great day in the Lord.”
Locke said: “It was strange because he (the suspect) had his blinders on and messed up the wheels and everything.”
‘He was very meticulous, so he had to be very brave to do what he did. We’ve had people do things to our building, we’ve been vandalized several times, so we have to have security, but never burn 200 Bibles.’
‘A trailer with about 200 Bibles had been set on fire blocking the Old Lebanon Dirt Rd. and Chandler Radford Rd. entrance to the main part of our parking lot,’ Pastor Locke said.
And he added: “That is a pretty rebellious statement towards the church.”
Locke also told his church faithful to get over the ordeal.
“What people often think is going to hold us back actually just encourages us, in a strange way, to know that we’re doing the right thing,” Locke said.
Some commenters expressed gratitude to the police and firefighters who arrived at the scene, while others thanked Pastor Locke for his service. While others recited psalms from the Bible.
‘So evil! They will face the Lord on Judgment Day! God bless his Church today. He is risen!’ one person wrote.
“The devil is working overtime,” said another.
“Thank you Lord for the police cars that arrived at the scene,” someone joked. ‘Help that pitiful, disgusting man of satan who sets fire to Bibles at the intersection. May he know you in a way he didn’t see coming.’
‘Declaring Psalm 91 and the Shalom of God over you and the family of faith. May God turn what was destined for evil into good for his glory and his namesake,” some posted.
Another prayed about what happened.
‘Father God, send Your warrior angels to surround and encamp around this church and family city! Lord we plead the blood of Jesus Christ our Savior upon each and every one of those committed to the Lord coming and going from our church!
‘For Your glory we praise and worship ONLY HOLY HOLY HOLY HOLY is Your Name on High AMEN Hallelujah Thank you Father we know that we are your children. We love you King Jesus,’ they wrote.
Despite the uproar the incident caused, there were some who offered compassion for the person responsible.
‘Pray for the man who did this! Apparently he needs it!!’ someone said.
Another person had the same sentiment: ‘All I have to say is God bless the person who did this. Pastor Locke continues to do the work of the Lord.
“Let’s get together and pray for the person who did this so that they have a ‘Paul’ moment and repent and come fully to Christ,” said another.
The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation and the suspicious fire. No arrests have been made.
Although they were limited in what they could share, they told their residents that their “safety remains their top priority.”
They were unavailable when DailyMail.com reached out to find out if there was a suspect in the case.
Anyone with information or additional camera footage of the incident is asked to contact the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office at 615-444-1459.