Church in North Myrtle Beach speaks out after second incident of vandalism

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) — A church in North Myrtle Beach was recently vandalized for the second time in just over a year.

The OD Church of the Lost and Found is located at Main Street and Oak Drive.

“Someone addressed this to our church,” said Pastor Richard Wilson. “It won’t be the first time, nor will it be the last.”

On May 9, the church captured surveillance video of four young adults taking videos and selfies, waving their arms and touching the television.

40 seconds into the video, one of them clenches his fist and punches the TV, damaging it and causing distortion, then they all quickly run away.

In April 2023, the church was the victim of similar vandalism.

Pastor Wilson, who leads the church, says services are broadcast on outdoor televisions on Main Street 24 hours a day, year-round.

“It’s not derogatory, it’s not putting anyone down, it’s literally telling people about love,” Wilson said.

He says it’s the only church in the area that he knows of that offers this resource. He says anyone can come, sit down and listen at any time.

He adds that he was able to help some people who came looking for guidance.

“I was able to walk out and she was in a bad way and I just sat there and listened to this message and I was able to share love and Jesus with her,” Wilson said. “And you never know what impact these things have.”

Wilson says the old TV was worth $1,800 but was replaced.

He adds that it was heartbreaking to see young people doing such a thing to a church.

“The main thing we want is for someone to take responsibility and say, ‘Hey, you know, I made a mistake, we’re replacing the TV,’ and in that sense we apologize,” Wilson said.

Wilson says they have no plans to remove the outdoor TV even if the vandalism continues, but they have installed a security camera.

North Myrtle Beach police say the case is currently under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the hotline (843) 447-9376.

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Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, Adrianna joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Follow Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook and X, formerly Twitter. You can also read more of her work here.

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