WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Police in Tennessee are investigating after a trailer full of Bibles was found burning near a church on Easter.
Mt. Juliet police officers and firefighters responded to the fire on a street outside of the Global Vision Bible Church around 6 a.m. Sunday, March 31.
After the flames were extinguished, deputies with the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) took over the investigation. The department said the trailer had been dropped off in the middle of the intersection and then “intentionally set on fire.”
Pastor Greg Locke, who founded the church and lives nearby, took to social media Sunday morning to share pictures of the trailer.
Locke said he didn’t know what happened until he got to work Sunday morning and that he was shocked by what he saw.
“A trailer with about 200 Bibles had been set on fire blocking the entrance from Old Lebanon Dirt Rd. and Chandler Radford Rd. into the main part of our parking lot,” Locke said.
“We’ve had people do things to our building,” he continued. “We’ve been vandalized a number of times, hence why we have to have security, but never 200 Bibles being burned. That’s a pretty rebellious statement towards the church.”
Locke said it’s important for his congregation to move forward from this incident.
“What people think many times is going to stop us, really just encourages us, in a weird way, to know that we’re doing what’s right,” Locke said.
According to the WCSO, specific details about the incident will not be immediately released in order to “uphold the integrity of the investigation.” However, deputies ensured citizens that “the safety and security of our residents remains our utmost priority.”