Police in the US state of Tennessee are investigating after a trailer containing hundreds of burnt Bibles was left outside a church on Easter Sunday.
The Wilson County Sheriff's Office said the trailer had been “intentionally set on fire”. No injuries have been reported following the incident.
The trailer, engulfed in flames, prompted a swift response from officers of the Mt. Juliet Police Department and Fire Department, who were alerted to the scene at the intersection of Old Lebanon Dirt Road and Chandler Road outside of the Global Vision Bible Church during the early hours of Sunday
Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church had just returned from Israel a day prior.
Writing on Facebook, he said the church’s security cameras had caught a man dropping off the trailer and setting it on fire.
“There was a lady that had driven through the night to get to our church and she was in the parking lot and was able to get the police officers here quickly, but it was quite the scene to wake up to on my first morning back from Israel. Had to block traffic in all directions but they are almost finished cleaning it up. It’s going to be a great day in the Lord. The enemy is already,” he wrote.
Pastor Locke is known for his controversial messages. In the last few years, he has been criticised for opposing Covid-19 mask mandates and claiming that developmental disorders, such as autism and mental health disorders, are signs of demonic oppression.
The Wilson County Sheriff's Office has assumed responsibility for the investigation into this suspicious fire, though no arrests have been made at this time.