South Shore church vows to continue mission after break-in

CHICAGO - Windsor Park Evangelical Lutheran Church, a longstanding pillar of Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, is reeling from a break-in that occurred on Sunday.

The church, which has served the community for over a century, is determined to continue its mission despite the setback.

The intruders made off with thousands of dollars' worth of equipment, including computers, sound equipment, and food from the church's community food pantry, which prepares meals for more than 250 families every weekend.

"This church was violated," said Pastor Anthony Williams. "Thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment stolen, and it's painful."

Church leaders, who are still inventorying the stolen items, suspect the break-in may not have been random. The burglars appeared to know how to bypass the church's alarm system and in-house cameras.

"They actually took out the systems that would track them in terms of visuals," said Willard Williamson, president of Windsor Park. "They walked around things as if they were familiar with it."

Despite the theft, Windsor Park Evangelical Lutheran Church has no plans to cancel Sunday services and is committed to operating the food pantry as usual. However, the theft has left the church in urgent need of supplies, prompting them to seek help from the community.

"We have a mighty few here who continue to do the work to continue to serve," said Arlivia Williamson. "We know that there's some people who would not eat unless we were here, and we want to continue that mission."

Vice President Fred Gittens expressed resilience in the face of adversity.

"To have this type of abuse is very disheartening, but we are not giving up since we are a religious organization. We understand the concept of forgiveness," he said.

As the investigation continues, the church is hopeful for support from the community to help replenish the lost items and sustain its efforts to assist those in need.