Published: July 04, 2008 10:51 am            

Rural church hit by vandals’ graffiti

SHADY OAKS — Pastor Robert Deming went to the Rome Church in Shady Oaks Monday with a bucket of white paint.

Sadly, it wasn’t for a touch-up, but to cover large red letters vandals spray-painted on the building.

The Henderson County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the act of criminal mischief that included painting graffiti on a large portion of the front of the building and 10 broken windows. There was also red paint on a sign on Farm-to- Market Road 753 pointing people to the church.

“They wrote some slogans and also painted some type of emblem on it. It’s pretty dramatic when you look at the white covered with all that red spray paint,” Deming said.

Deming said a church member saw the damage over the weekend and alerted him. He reported the incident to the sheriff’s department, which sent Deputy Billy Jack Valentine to the church Monday to survey the damage. Investigator David Faught has been assigned the case. Faught could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Deming said he was interested in finding out from the sheriff’s department if the emblem is symbolic of gang activity or if the incident was just a random act of vandalism.

“If it was young people who did it, when they raise a family this will be something they’ll have in the back of their minds,” Deming said.

Deming said the vandals did not appear to have entered the building.

“We’re just a little country church,” Deming said. “We don’t have any fancy sound system or anything to steal.”

The pastor said Rome Church had, for the most part, been free from criminal activity. Like many area churches, however, it has been the scene of a copper theft.

“About six months ago someone stripped the copper wire from the air conditioner and caused some problems,” Deming said. “They caused all that trouble and probably got $10 worth of copper.”

According to the Henderson County Historical Commission, Rome Church was established in 1921. Deming said the church now has a congregation of about 40 members which gathers for Sunday services and other meetings during the week.

Directly across the driveway from the church is Rome Cemetery, where more than 200 people have been laid to rest. A historical marker stands at the entrance to cemetery.

“We’ve always allowed the community to enjoy the picnic area next to the church,” Deming said. “It’s disappointing that someone would do this.”

        

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