Lilburn church receives national exposure following Christmas break-in, suffers second theft a month later

Joe Westbury

Gwen Howard, children's minister at Calvary Baptist Church in Lilburn, sorts through toys donated to the church following a Dec. 12 break-in. Days after this picture was taken, the church was broken into again, with some toys pictured stolen.

A Lilburn church that received national media attention following the pre-Christmas theft of toys being collected for the Georgia Baptist Children's Homes was vandalized again in early January.

CNN interviewed Children's Minister Gwen Howard about the Dec. 12 break-in, which resulted in a national outpouring of cash and gifts to replace the stolen items. The gifts were distributed to children at the Palmetto facility in the following weeks, but other toys were received in the days following Christmas.

Those items were stockpiled in a room near the church office and were about to be delivered a second time when thieves revisited the church located at 5255 Lawrenceville Hwy. in Lilburn. But the second break-in focused more on a search for cash rather than toys, Howard says. While a few of the toys were stolen, most of the damage occurred to the church office, where files were overturned and documents littered the floor.

Earlier donations largely intact

Though church members are shocked at yet, another break-in and, yes, there is talk of installing a security system, people are thankful the gifts received after Dec. 13 were barely touched.

Most gifts had already been sent to Palmetto and money spent on other items for the children's home.

As of Jan. 10, the total amount given through gifts to the church was $23,170.82. After replacing the gifts, the remainder will be spent on church mission projects renovating cabins on the Palmetto campus.

On Dec. 19, approximately $1,200 in cash was given to be used for the children during the holiday season. Gift cards totaling more than $1,600 were used for Christmas.

Approximately $17,500 has been placed in an account that will be used to provide supplies when members of Calvary go to Palmetto in the spring to renovate a cottage.

For the past three years, Calvary's ministry to the Palmetto children's home had grown. On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Howard and the pastor read a list of children's names at the home. Volunteers would buy gifts for the child.

"Members would often buy more than the child asked," says Howard. "College students and even children take names. People rake leaves and do other things to raise money for gifts."

The pre-Christmas break-in resulted in an outpouring of nationwide support for the congregation, exposure to Georgia Baptist Children's ministries and a renewed sense of ministry for the church's members.