A Kelowna church has had to cancel its Sunday service after its equipment trailer was broken into and nearly all of its contents taken.
The Live Free Church that operates out of Landmark Cinemas is missing more than $30,000 worth of goods, according to lead pastor Kolby Milton.
"They stole the kids' crayons," Milton said, adding that everything from sound equipment and speakers to coffee percolators and cups was stolen. Some tables, chairs and other items were left in the trailer, but Milton said much of it was damaged.
The theft was discovered Sunday, July 17, just before 8 a.m., when Milton and his family went to collect the gear for the day's ministries. Milton said the first thing he did was call the cops, then they reached out to people in the church and their social media pages to let the congregation know the 10 a.m. service that day was cancelled.
Kelowna RCMP confirmed the theft was called in around 8:15 a.m. and officers attended. The investigation is ongoing.
The trailer was stored at 3330 Springfield Road, a construction yard owned by Bluepoint Construction.
"It was nice they could store it there and generous of them to do it," Milton said. "I asked them numerous times if it'd be secure, because this is Rutland and it has a reputation."
There were no security cameras to capture any suspects, Milton added.
When asked about communication and support from Bluepoint Construction since the incident, Milton said, "Not too sure yet... That story still has to be written, but I'm hopeful." Black Press has reached out to Bluepoint Construction for an interview.
Milton said the church's insurance will cover $25,000, and he is hoping to claim the remainder through Bluepoint's insurance. "They've been kind of quiet to see what we're going to do. I've emailed them the list," Milton said. The church kept receipts, serial numbers, and detailed lists of everything they kept.
Thanks to other local churches, Milton said the congregation was able to gather on July 20 with borrowed equipment.
Anyone wanting to help the church get back on its feet can reach out to Milton by email: kolby@livefree.church.
