Shattered glass, united church in Forest

By Darrell Laurant

Published: July 27, 2008

FOREST — An astute minister can find a psalm to fit every situation — even church vandalism.

And so it was that the Rev. Dwayne Drew posted these lines from Psalm 32 in the tiny vestibule of Saint John Baptist Church last week: “Blessed is he whose trangressions are forgiven, whose sin is covered.”

Indeed, both have already come to pass. Led by the Saint John board of deacons, a group of volunteers quickly washed and scraped away the Satanic and anti-Christian symbols that had been daubed on the brick walls in white paint. And during Sunday’s 11 o’clock service — the first since the damage was discovered — Gayle Drew, wife of the pastor, not only led a prayer of forgiveness directed toward the perpetrators, but also asked for mercy on any congregation member who may have wanted to do un-Christian things to them.

It could have been worse, but it was still ugly. Not only were “666” and upside down crosses splattered on several walls, but ragged holes had been punched through five stained glass windows. A paint can had been thrown through one of those windows into the interior, and a cross of flowers had been taken from a nearby cemetery and placed next to the church, also upside down.

“We had just buried that lady a few weeks ago,” said Dwayne Drew of the gravesite from which the cross was removed. “It’s an emotional thing. This hits a lot of people hard, especially those who have lived here their whole lives. And when one of us hurts, we all hurt.”

Vera Johnson demonstrated that on Sunday. While reading a list of local congregations and individuals that had contributed to a fund to replace the windows, she broke down and was unable to continue. So Gayle Drew stepped up to the microphone in her place, telling Johnson softly: “It’s all right.”

And it really did seem all right. One church offered the use of its worship space, much as Timberlake United Methodist did for the congregation of Lawyers Baptist Church when its building was wrecked by a tornado — but Saint Johns’ 70 members declined.

“I told them we were grateful, but we didn’t need it,” Gayle Drew said. “We’re not going anywhere. We’re not going to let the Devil chase us away.”

It’s a modest little church, 130 years old, close enough to U.S. 460 that the hum and sigh of passing traffic is a constant background noise. Inside, it has wood paneling and red carpet and a painting of the Last Supper over the small altar. It holds services twice each month, and on the second Sunday, there’s always a reading based on black
history.

“We’re debt free,” said Dwayne Drew, “and our membership is growing. Seventy members is not bad for a twice-a-month church, and we’re adding another Sunday. We just had a revival that was very successful, and right after that this happened. Maybe Satan was trying to get us off-track.”

“That’s why we need a savior,” said Deacon Clarence Brown. “We’re not angry with the people who did this. What we have to fight is the evil that was just using them.”

Sunday, they fought back with joyful enthusiasm, the Children of Promise Youth Choir swaying back and forth in their purple and white robes, belting out praise songs to the emphatic thump of a drum and Sabrina Alexander’s sprightly piano. The congregation murmured in agreement with the points their pastor was making from the pulpit.

“This is a blessing in disguise,” Drew said. “The response we’ve gotten has crossed denominational lines and racial lines. It’s been wonderful. With our own congregation, it’s brought us all together.

“The coverage in the media has helped, too. If people hadn’t heard of Saint John Church before, they do now.”

Meanwhile, while the church members struggle to find words to describe what has happened to them, Maj. Ricky Gardner of the Bedford County Sheriff’s Department feels he’s found just the right term.
“It’s a felony,” he said.

Nevertheless, Dwayne Drew realizes that whoever desecrated his church — whether as an anti-Christian statement or simply because it was an easy target for mean-spiritedness — may never be caught.

It’s OK. Saint John has moved on.

Tatyana Wright walks into Saint John Baptist Church with her son, Daishawn, on Sunday.  The 70-member church continued services in the building and are working to clean up the damage.

Jay Drew sits below a window at Saint John Baptist Church in Forest on Sunday. Vandals broke five windows and painted graffiti on church walls last week. This week, members of the small congregation prayed to forgive whomever is responsible for the damage.