Church van stolen from Morris Heights church community

MORRIS HEIGHTS (WABC) -- A Bronx congregation is desperately hoping for answers and searching for their church van that was stolen over the weekend.

Forgiveness, in the eyes of Reverend Wesley Daniel, is a strong possibility for the thief who brazenly stole his church's van.

"I'm pleading with the person or persons to bring it back," Rev. Daniel said.

He wants them to return the 1998 dark green Dodge with the name Calvary United Methodist Church written on the side of it. You'd think somebody would spot that, Rev. Daniel believes.

"I think it's got the telephone number and the address, so please let us know," Rev. Daniel said.

The lock on the gated parking lot in Morris Heights had just broken Friday night the pastor says.

Before they could replace it, the thief or thieves came in through the gate, broke into the van and apparently hotwired it.

It wasn't until later Saturday that the keys and vehicle documents for the van were found still inside the church.

"They went out of their way to come in here and take it," Rev. Daniel said.

"That hurts the most?" Eyewitness News said.

"It feels, violated in a sense because it's personal property and the church's property," Rev. Daniel said.

It's valuable property which the church has used religiously for years as a lifeline between the congregants and the Morris Heights community.

"Transport our seniors, transport members of our church who volunteer and at the end of the day take them home. As a function of the church we use it to take those home who have no transportation of their own," Rev. Daniel said.

So on Sunday, as the faithful filled the sanctuary, Reverend Daniel was able to turn the church's misfortune into the sermon of the day.

"I hope they got to their place safely, and when they finished doing what they were doing that they come back and drop it off," Rev. Daniel said.

It's a lesson not lost on the faithful, but one the pastor hopes will now be heard by the thief who, he believes, still has time for redemption.

"It's just that we need it, really is that we need it," Rev. Daniel said.