Paterson church ransacked as thief takes copper from sanctuary, organ

Joe Malinconico
·2 min read
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PATERSON — Someone broke into New Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church and stole copper from the basement, the bathroom, the sanctuary, the sound system, and even the organ, according to the pastor.

Despite the losses, Bishop D’Andra Johnson said he is doing everything possible to conduct services on Sunday.

“Our church is devastated,” said Johnson. “But we will not allow this to stop us from having our services.”

Johnson said the church’s security cameras showed the burglar checking the outside of the building at about 4 a.m. on Tuesday and then breaking in at about 5:30 a.m. New Shiloh is located on Broadway and Straight Street, in the 4th Ward.

Someone broke into Paterson’s New Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church this week and stole copper from the basement, the bathroom, the sanctuary, the sound system, and even the organ, according to the pastor.
Someone broke into Paterson’s New Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church this week and stole copper from the basement, the bathroom, the sanctuary, the sound system, and even the organ, according to the pastor.

“I can see cars driving past,” Johnson said, describing the security video. “It was broad daylight. But he didn’t care.”

Community leaders said the crime reflected how bad things have become in Paterson.

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“When your houses of worship aren’t safe, that has to change,” said activist Ernest Rucker.

“Our community is out of control,” said Councilman Michael Jackson. “People are becoming more and more desperate. Now we’re seeing heinous crimes like this.”

St. Luke's Baptist has also been vandalized

Someone broke into Paterson’s New Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church this week and stole copper from the basement, the bathroom, the sanctuary, the sound system, and even the organ, according to the pastor.
Someone broke into Paterson’s New Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church this week and stole copper from the basement, the bathroom, the sanctuary, the sound system, and even the organ, according to the pastor.

Paterson police officials could not be reached for information about the crime. The Rev. Kenneth Clayton, pastor of St. Luke’s Baptist Church located about five blocks from New Shiloh, said his church also has been burglarized.

“It’s sad and disgusting, but these are the times we live in,” Clayton said. “Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time a church in Paterson has been broken into.”

Johnson said the burglar broke into the building through a boarded-up basement window. The criminal then was blocked by a bar across a door, so he punched his way through drywall to get access to the rest of the church, the pastor said.

The intruder ransacked the church’s community room and also took a television set, Johnson said.

Someone broke into Paterson’s New Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church this week, ransacking the facility and stealing copper from the basement, the bathroom, the sanctuary, the sound system, and even the organ, according to the pastor.
Someone broke into Paterson’s New Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church this week, ransacking the facility and stealing copper from the basement, the bathroom, the sanctuary, the sound system, and even the organ, according to the pastor.

New Shiloh has about 50 members who regularly attend services. “They’re mostly senior citizens living on fixed incomes,” he said. “We’ll pool our money,” he added of the effort to make repairs.

Rucker said he had no doubt that the burglar was one of the homeless drug addicts who haunt the 4th Ward. Stealing copper to sell at junkyards is a common practice for people in such circumstances, Rucker said.

The break-in happened on a street that a year ago epitomized Paterson’s worst problems, where lost souls used to wander in search of their next dose of opioids. But local law enforcement officials have dramatically increased police presence in the area and last fall instituted walking patrols that went right past New Shiloh.

But there are no walking patrols on Broadway at 5:30 a.m.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson NJ church ransacked, thief takes copper from organ