HOUSTON — A local preacher is asking for help identifying two thieves who made off with some of the church’s money and important documents held in a safe.
Security video shows the suspects breaking into the Community of Faith Church in Acres Homes early Friday morning.
The video shows the men emerging from the building with a rolling cart carrying the safe.
Bishop James Dixon said it appears the thieves knew what they were looking for and they were in and out of the church with the safe in minutes.
“We exist to make a difference, to make an impact,” Dixon said. “We feed the homeless and the hungry every week, hundreds and thousands so everything we receive we need.”
Dixon said he will be saying a prayer for the men in the surveillance videos.
“We’re praying for the individuals to repent and turn themselves in,” he said.
Dixon declined to say how much money was stolen, only saying that every dollar lost is a dollar less the church can spend for its ministries.
“The money that we could be using to feed the hungry, help the poor and help children go back to school who are disadvantaged, now we have to spend those funds into upgrading security systems,” Dixon said. “And that takes thousands and thousands of dollars to make that happen.”
Although he doesn’t recognize the men in the videos, Dixon says somebody does.
“Someone knows them,” he said. “Someone’s son, brother, uncle, coworker, next-door neighbor, friend.”
Dixon is asking the people who know them to come forward.
“For anyone to do this to anyone’s house, and certainly to God’s house, a church, those individuals should be held accountable, and we don’t need those people on the streets,” he said.