Cobb County churches vandalized, suspect still at large

A security camera at Noonday Baptist Church caught footage of the suspect for vandalism at several north Cobb County churches. NOONDAY BC/Special

KENNESAW — Arriving for a 6 a.m. prayer meeting May 8, members of Noonday Baptist Church were shocked at the vulgarity spray-painted across multiple buildings.

Noonday joined at least three other area churches – including Wildwood Baptist Church and NorthStar Church, both in Acworth, to be vandalized between April 29-May 8. Church of Christ in North Cobb, which is not a Southern Baptist church, also reported damage.

Surveillance video at Noonday captured the perpetrator, who appeared to be an adult male. Damage included obscene language and Satanic symbols spray-painted onto structures.

"Maybe it was a message that he's reaching out, needing some hope himself," Noonday Pastor Mark Somers told 11Alive news in Atlanta. 

Jay Worthington, executive pastor at Noonday, explained the first level of concern being for students at Noonday Christian Academy who could see the obscene language painted across the school's main entrance. With only a couple of hours before students began arriving, the graffiti was covered up.

"The next day was our end-year-program," said Worthington, "so we wanted to make sure it was removed before then. We contacted a professional company, who upon hearing this had happened to a church, shuffled some things around in their schedule and got their best guy out here to take care of it. By four o'clock it was gone."

To alleviate any concerns from students and parents, Worthington said extra security was put into place for the next day's events. "It gave people assurance they were safe," he added.

Police are still searching for the man in the Noonday video of the night the vandalism took place.