Get the latest BPR news delivered free to your inbox daily. SIGN UP HERE.
A Mississippi church that has been vocal in its opposition to local coronavirus lockdown policies has suffered an arson attack allegedly motivated by anger over the church standing up for its First Amendment rights.
“First Pentecostal Church in Holly Springs was destroyed by what investigators believe is an arsonist. Investigators found graffiti on pavement in the church parking lot that reads, ‘Bet you stay home now you hypokrits (sic),'” Jackson station WLBT reported Wednesday.
According to reports, firefighters were called to the scene around 2:00 am early Wednesday morning. Upon arriving, they found the church fully engulfed in flames.
By Wednesday morning, nothing remained — no walls, no roof, nothing.
Jerry Waldrop, who’s reportedly pastored the church for 31 years, was stunned.
“There’s nothing left. It’s gone,” he said to WLBT.
Listen (disable your adblocker if the video doesn’t appear):
Speaking with station WHBQ, Marshall County Sheriff Department criminal investigator Kelly McMillen said, “We do believe that based on the evidence and what we have seen at the scene and on top of the hill this was an arson.”
The evidence includes multiple spray paint cans that were found in the church’s vicinity.
The station noted that the fire comes amid a legal battle between the church and the city of Holly Springs.
“The church recently filed a federal lawsuit against Holly Springs after the city cited Waldrop for violating the stay at home order by having services in the church instead of a drive-up service on a stormy Easter Sunday,” it reported.
“The church claimed the restriction violates its First Amendment rights. To prove a point, Waldrop’s congregation walked into Walmart on a Sunday to show people were allowed to gather at the store but not in church.”
Apparently, someone took great offense to this valid point.
Questioned about the suit Wednesday, Waldrop said only that his current focus is on keeping the church’s services going and moving toward rebuilding.
“We are going to keep the faith, and we’re going to keep doing what we have always done, and maybe not on this location. I’ll get with our faithful people, and maybe we’ll rent a building or whatever we need to do for the time being,” he said to WHBQ.
Listen:
Asked about who may have committed the arson, he appeared lost.
“We’ve racked our brains and we have no idea,” Waldrop said. “No enemies that we know of. We don’t know anyone that we even think could be capable of doing something like this.”
The church’s attorney, Thomas More Society senior counsel Stephen Crampton, suspects the arson is tied to the church standing up for its rights.
“We’re in a time where I don’t think it’s any secret that there’s a growing hostility toward churches, across the board,” he said to Fox News. “And now, here are churches like First Pentecostal that are sort of stirring up the waters by being outspoken and somewhat firm about seeking to protect their Constitutional rights.”
“They’ve had bad comments [sent their way] on social media. … There is just a segment that takes issue with the church standing up, and the church just being the church.”
Indeed. After visiting Walmart on Sunday, the church uploaded footage from the visit to YouTube, and that footage has since been inundated with hateful comments.
Here’s a small sampling:
- “Thank yall for reinforcing the stereotype for Mississippi being uneducated and too hard headed to listen to good sense because of “church” and wanting to prove whatever point yall wanted to make. Congratulations on top tier inconsideration.”
- “These people are committing acts of terrorism. The feds need to step in and arrest all of them.”
- “Some people just need a shovel to the back of the head.”
- “Fools, shopping for food is a necessary thing, praying to an invisible fictional character is not.”
See the hateful, irrational and ignorant comments for yourself at YouTube:
Hopefully, everyone who left a hateful comment is now a suspect in the arson.
And FYI, walking around as a family unit at a grocery store isn’t an act of terrorism. But burning down a church certainly is.
Speaking of which, photos from the aftermath of the fire may be seen below:
The First Pentecostal Church in Holly Springs, Mississippi, was torched for continuing to hold services during quarentine. The arsonist(s) spray painted on the parking lot “BET YOU STAY HOME NOW YOU HYPOKRITS”.
Liberal Covid alarmists are inciting terrorism pic.twitter.com/qxp5yvSyVg
— Benjamin Braddock (@BenBraddock67) May 20, 2020
Please be in prayer for the Church and Pastor!!!
Today this church was burned down and exploded as a result of arson!!! They spray painted in the parking lot”You Will Stay Home Now You Hypocrite”.First Pentecostal Church
Holly Springs,MS. pic.twitter.com/85tlPHhZcD— Dan Q Carr (@danjackie2014) May 21, 2020
AT 10: A fire at First Pentecostal Church of Holly Springs is being investigated as an arson by officials. The same church is suing the city over a stay at home order. Hear the full backstory coming up on @LocalMemphis pic.twitter.com/GqMAFB77Ea
— Rebecca Butcher 🦋 (@Local24Rebecca) May 21, 2020
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
[email protected]
V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.
- ‘There is no accountability’: Cop faults local DA in Democrat-run NC town for 200% surge in break-ins - February 5, 2023
- GOP congresswoman to boycott Biden SOTU address: ‘I will not show up and listen to him continue to lie’ - February 5, 2023
- ‘Older woman’ who Prince Harry said snatched his virginity speaks, says she was 19 at time of romp - February 5, 2023
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
