(CP) Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, told members of his flock that the setting on fire of around 200 Bibles in a trailer near his church by an unidentified suspect on Easter Sunday is proof that Christianity is “under attack” within the United States.
“If you think that Christianity isn’t under attack greater than ever before within the United States of America, you haven’t been being attentive. You have to get your head out of the sand. Quit being lukewarm,” Locke declared in the course of the Easter Sunday service.
“I’m telling you they’re attacking churches in America. Can I remind you, for Evangelical believers and for Catholics for that matter, that is a very powerful day historically and biblically that you may imagine? And now Joe Biden makes it Trans Visibility Awareness Day.”
Biden drew criticism from conservative Christians for proclaiming Easter Sunday as “Transgender Day of Visibility.”
“If you think that for any second that Christianity isn’t under an assault and under an attack, you usually are not being attentive friends. Wake as much as the truth. The beast system is here. They hate people who tell the reality,” Locke asserted.
Hours earlier, at around 8am Sunday, Locke revealed in a statement on Facebook that a witness saw a person dropping off the trailer of Bibles near his church and setting it ablaze. It was all caught on security cameras.Â
“Happy Resurrection Sunday. This morning at 6:00AM our security cameras caught a person dropping off a trailer in the midst of the intersection and blocking the road into our church. He then got out and set fire to a whole trailer stuffed with Bibles right in front of our church,” Locke wrote.
“There was a girl that had driven through the night to get to our church, and she or he was within the parking zone and was capable of get the law enforcement officials here quickly, however it was quite the scene to wake as much as on my first morning back from Israel. Had to dam traffic in all directions but they’re almost finished cleansing it up. It’s going to be an excellent day within the Lord.”
The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the incident in a statement, noting officials are withholding some details to “uphold the integrity of the continued investigation.”
“Around 6am this morning, the Mt. Juliet Police Department and Fire Department swiftly responded to a trailer fire positioned on the intersection of Old Lebanon Dirt Road and Chandler Road,” the statement said.
“The fire was promptly extinguished by the diligent efforts of the Mt. Juliet Fire Department. Following the containment of the fireplace, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office deputies and detectives assumed control of the investigation. The trailer, containing bibles, had been dropped off in the midst of the intersection after which intentionally set on fire. To uphold the integrity of the continued investigation, other specific details can’t be provided presently.”
Locke told his congregation that police told him FBI was called in since the burning of Bibles is being investigated as a hate crime.
“He’s got his hazard lights on at 5:58 within the morning,” Locke said. “I’m like, ‘Wow, here’s essentially the most polite crook I’ve ever met in my whole life.’ I’ve never met, , polite Satanists.
“And so he unhooks the trailer and douses it with gasoline, with fuel, after which — there have been probably 200 Bibles,” the outspoken pastor added. “I do not know where he got them.”
