A Christian congregation in Somerset has been left feeling “unsafe” after rocks were thrown through the windows of their church during a Sunday service.
Around 120 people from MSBN Bridgwater, a Portuguese-speaking evangelical church, were gathered inside Bridgwater Baptist Church when the incident occurred on 31st August.
Youth pastor Manolo Lubiana told the BBC the congregation was listening to a sermon when someone shouted that glass had fallen on their head. “We took shelter. It could have been anything, it could have been someone attacking the church,” he said.
Some members went outside and saw individuals running near an abandoned pub nearby, which had also reportedly been broken into. Police were called shortly after.
While the church does not believe they were directly targeted, Lubiana said the migrant church community has been left unsettled. “We may be foreigners, we might be the church of migrants, but we want to be part of this culture. We’re not here to make enemies,” he said.
Avon and Somerset Police Acting Sergeant Joshua Maguire said that the church is "a place of worship that welcomes vulnerable members of our community" and that "identifying those responsible remains a matter of utmost importance".
The force have urged anyone with dashcam or doorbell footage from around the time of the incident to get in touch.