Copper thieves are on the attack. The victims? Churches in Southwest Birmingham. Tens of thousands of dollars in copper were stolen from air conditioning units late Thursday evening. It's a problem that has forced some churches to cancel classes and services.
"We don't know who it is or why they are doing it." Derrick Tubbs, Executive Assistant Grace Covenant Worship Center said.
But if you're without it...
"It's so hot in the building now," Pastor Larry Coleman, Galilee Baptist Church said.
These four pastors and deacons make up about half of the churches hit in the past few days.
"They went inside and got all the coil out," Pastor Coleman said.
Grace Covenant Worship Center- off Wilson Road - found about $18,000 worth of damage on its rooftop.
"Some churches talked about stopping service but we said, we are here to serve the Lord," Tubbs said. "This is where people come for peace and we said we are going to continue on."
"To do this in the house of God is devastating," Coleman said.
Just up the street, Galilee Baptist Church faces close to $23,000 in damage.
'Had to cancel some programs because it's hot in there," Coleman said. "I'm having vacation Bible school now and we're using our sanctuary. Normally we don't use our sanctuary for anything but worship."
"They tore off as high as they could reach to get this copper as well," Ronard Boglin, a Deacon at Mt Olive Missionary Church said.
A few blocks away, Mount Olive Missionary Church discovered three of its a/c units were ripped apart.
"For a local congregation to have something like this happen is just devastating," Boglin said.
Over in Wylam, Believers Temple Church not only had copper stolen, but a trailer and equipment two weeks in a row.
"So we found ourselves last night sleeping in the building trying to make sure we find out who is doing all this in the community," Pastor Herman Henderson, Believers Temple Church said.
Church leaders say now they're taking extra precautions- Installing cameras and iron fencing.
"The Lord still blesses us here at Galilee and we just thank God because it could have been a whole lot worse," Coleman said.
Birmingham Police acknowledge there are copper burglaries happening around the area but they weren't able to comment- due to the ongoing investigation.
