A local church’s faith has been tested — and strengthened — after it was looted early Friday morning.

Thieves broke into Antioch Baptist Church on Woolsey-Brooks Road early Friday night and got away with so much stuff that they likely used a moving truck and perhaps a trailer, according to the Rev. Jerry Garner, the church’s pastor.

Among the stolen goods were five computers, several televisions, VCRs and DVD players along with sound equipment and even a riding lawnmower, Garner said.

The thieves also kicked in doors to individual rooms, broke windows and spilled a can of paint in the fellowship hall, Garner said.

“They had to have been in there a pretty long time to do what they had done,” Garner said, noting that trash cans were used to haul the loot out of the building.

The church’s attitude toward the perpetrators may not be that surprising.

Garner said at Sunday’s service part of his message was that the criminals should not be judged.

“You’ve got to forgive them, and God will deal with them over time,” Garner told the congregation.

Garner said the church prayed for the suspects and several church members told him it was one of the church’s best services in a while.

“We prayed for these people, because evidently they’re lost and they sure don’t fear God if they’re going to break into a church,” Garner said.

Garner said the church was also humbled by the theft, as members had become accustomed to the presence of technology in worship services and other activities in the church.

“I’m sure God has a reason for it. Maybe one of them will be saved because of it,” Garner said.

The church was unable to hold Sunday school because the classrooms were wrecked by the suspects, Garner said. Also, the church cancelled Wednesday worship services so the remainder of the church could be cleaned up.

“It’s inconvenient, but it’s just stuff,” Garner said of the missing items.

Included in the mess was blood from one of the participants who was cut by broken window glass, Garner said. That may help sheriff’s detectives identity one of the suspects.

The perpetrators even helped themselves to Kool-Aid from the church’s food pantry, but they left behind a few items that Garner felt they would have taken if they had the time.

“Maybe they got spooked by someone turning around in the driveway or something,” Garner said.