12 Gunmen Rob A Methodist Church In South Africa

An armed heist in the dead of night rattled the Bryanston Methodist Church on Monday, October 27, when a band of intruders burst onto the property, pinned security guards with firearms, and forced their way into the church’s safe, making off with an unspecified sum of money.

As detailed in a message released by the church to its members, the event took place just past 10 p.m., as a dozen gun-wielding assailants pulled up in three cars. The intruders allegedly intimidated the guards, forced entry into the church’s ground-level administrative section, and pilfered various objects prior to shutting down the security alert mechanism.

“They then disabled the alarm system and proceeded to break into the vault/strongroom area using heavy tools such as angle grinders and jackhammers,” the church said in the statement. “Several safes were damaged, and an undisclosed amount of money was taken, including one physical safe.”

The bandits lingered within the church building for more than three hours prior to making their getaway. Law enforcement was notified right away and has now initiated a comprehensive probe into the occurrence.

Church administrators verified that nobody suffered any bodily injury, voicing thanks for “God’s protection” upon the employees and watchmen who were there amid the crisis. They further mentioned that psychological guidance and sentimental assistance were being provided to individuals impacted.

In spite of the harrowing experience, church executives stated that programs and worship sessions would proceed without interruption, though they encouraged followers to adopt digital methods of donation, like EFT, SnapScan, or credit card transactions, in order to lessen the volume of currency kept at the location.

This episode contributes to an alarming pattern of thefts at religious sites across South Africa over the past few months.

During July, nine attendees at a church, comprising a clergyman and senior members, found themselves at the mercy of gunmen in Mpumalanga amid a nighttime gathering. The perpetrators bound them using plastic restraints and ransacked their cell phones, purses, portable computers, and vehicle ignitions.

One month afterward, Mpumalanga’s official for Community Safety, Jackie Macie, called on congregations throughout the region to bolster their defenses following three distinct gunpoint assaults on parishioners within a single seven-day period.

Just a short while ago, in September, a pair of weaponized individuals interrupted a devotional assembly at Zayoni Kingdom Catholic Church in Waterloo, situated north of Durban, terrorizing roughly 60 worshippers. Observers reported that the culprits, clad head to toe in dark attire, gathered up 46 handheld devices under threat of shooting prior to vanishing.

Officials persist in probing the Bryanston incident, cautioning faith-based organizations to stay alert since holdups aimed at places of worship seem to be increasing in frequency.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli