Church welcomes alleged vandals
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — A Kansas City church is looking for whoever vandalized their storage shed, but not to press charges.
Instead, they say they want to form a relationship and help them.
“This church has been just a part of this community for the past 80 years in this Northern Heights area,” said Ryan Miller, pastor of First Baptist Church of Northern Heights.
“It’s got stories from every single generation that’s passed through here, so it knows its community, and it’s nice,” Miller said.
It’s that community spirit that’s behind the church’s reaction to two men ripping the shingles off their storage shed Saturday night.
A church deacon caught a photo of them, but FOX4 is blurring their faces as the men are not charged with a crime.
“Everyone is very united in the idea of not wanting to prosecute, not wanting to get these guys in trouble,” Miller said. “We just want to bring these guys in and help them because we’re a church that believes in second chances. We’re a church that believes in forgiveness.”
No condemnation, rather, a conversation.
But that doesn’t cover the bill. That’s where Aaron Manley, owner of HammerTime Roofing and Restoration, comes in.
He saw the church’s post about the incident and wanted to help. He’s replacing the whole roof, an estimated $750 job, for free.
“Being a small business owner, and obviously whether it’s a church or what have you, smaller entities need all the help they can get,” Manley said. “I grew up out here for the entire 33 years I’ve lived up here, so it’s close to home.”
So the search is on for the two men. But it won’t end in handcuffs and jail time but, maybe, an apology and a new friendship.
“We want to know who they are. We want to get to know them, and if there is something that’s going on in their life that maybe they just need some encouragement or need some help with, we want to be there for them,” Miller said.
Manley put a protective cover on the roof Monday afternoon. He will be replacing the shingles Tuesday.
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