The theft at Powell Valley occurred during a wedding being held by someone from outside the congregation, says Associate Pastor Jamie Worley. Credit cards were taken from one purse.
Gresham police are looking for a female suspect who also has taken cards at churches holding Vacation Bible school events and a rummage sale.
Powell Valley members have not become alarmed by the theft, says Worley, who has a background in law enforcement. “I think we’re just going to be more conscientious.”
Worley also advises church attendees to be careful about what they leave in their automobiles during services and to make certain that the vehicles are locked. He noted that some larger churches have security details that patrol their parking lots.
Earlier this year in Westbury, New York, a member of the congregation was arrested for stealing from purses while women at a Catholic church knelt in prayer or went forward for communion.
Police in Lakewood, Colorado, arrested six people they said were part of an identity theft ring, whose victims included guests attending a church wedding.
It can be difficult to be vigilant all the time, however. Dan Whitmarsh, pastor of Lakebay Community Covenant Church in Lakebay, Washington, recalls another Covenant minister who had a cell phone stolen from his office during a worship service.
“It sure made me think of all the strangers we have walking around, and how often I forget to lock my office,” he says.
