ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Orlando church is cleaning up after being vandalized. The pastor of God is Able Outreach church is disappointed after he said vandals went on a window-smashing spree at his church on Sunday night.
Pastor Stovelleo Stovall said he delivered a message of peace and nonviolence to his congregation during Sunday’s church service. However, on Sunday night vandals hit his church.
“I get a call about 5:45 that my windows have been broken out,” Stovall said.
Stovall said members of his congregation immediately jumped in to help restore their house of worship, “glass was everywhere,” he said. They boarded up the windows with plywood sheeting and cleaned up the mess.
“Who would have so much evil in their heart to do such a thing,” Stovall said.
He said it is not clear what prompted the incident but he believes his support of peaceful and nonviolent demonstrations may have made him a target.
“If we are going to march, march peacefully, if we are going to do things let it be peacefully. Let’s not stop here, let us continue to love each other.”
Protests across Central Florida have caused people to clash but Stovall said his message will always be nonviolence.
As Orlando police work to bring the vandals to justice he said he doesn’t want the despicable act to happen again.
“You’re not getting away with it,” he said.
Stovall said surveillance video nearby may have captured the incident. Nothing was stolen and no other storefront in the plaza was targeted.