x
Breaking News
More () »

Pigeon Forge church hoping to find missing van

Pastor Albee said a man broke into the First Methodist Church of Pigeon Forge, spent the night and stole the church van the next day.

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — The First Methodist Church of Pigeon Forge congregation is on the look out for its van after someone broke in, found the keys and stole it on Wednesday.

"We believe he came to service that day and hid somewhere after it was over," Pastor Stuart Albee said. "He slipped out of sight and made his way into the remote parts of the church and spent the night."

By the time church members made it in on Thursday morning, the intruder was long gone, along with the church van.

"He broke into my office and got the keys to the van and made off with the van," Albee said.

The congregation then turned to Facebook, asking for help and after a couple thousand shares it got a few tips.

"People in South Carolina contacted us saying they've seen the van," he said.

Albee said the post led to tips from Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina.

"The number of shares have just quadrupled over and over again," he said.

But eventually church members stepped up to fill in the gap, volunteering their own vehicles to get people back and forth to church. 

"I think a member of our church has volunteered a couple of mini vans to help us out in the interim," Albee said.

While the church doesn't know if it'll get the van back anytime soon, Albee said whatever happens is up to God and he is hoping for the best.

"I'm encouraging everybody to pray," he said. "And we will find out what God wants in short terms and long term."

Before You Leave, Check This Out