ST. LOUIS — "I was in disbelief when I first saw it all," Pastor Jack Hill Jr. said of the damage found inside his Church of Nondenomination.
Hill held back tears when he showed 5 On Your Side's Robert Townsend all the damage vandals did to his sanctuary sometime last week.
He discovered it on Saturday morning.
"It makes me more sad than mad. I'm just sad for them," said Hill.
The church is located at the corner of Goodfellow Boulevard and Maple Avenue in north St. Louis.
Hill told police the culprits broke through his church's front door, ripped out the alarm system and vandalized several treasured items.
They are treasures dear to Hill, his family and his 50 members.
"I found my dad's picture shattered on the floor. They ripped it off a wall. My dad initially founded our church. I just don't understand who would do this and why did they destroyed my dad's picture and all of our special things that are sentimental and sacred," said Hill.
The vandals also knocked over large statues and destroyed the church's baby grand piano and its organ.
Plus, they stole amplifiers, sound mixers and other musical equipment.
The criminals even pushed over the pastor's wooden stand where he preaches and tossed bibles across the floor.
"It's always in the back of my mind who would do this and why? I want to know who did this. I just can't fathom it," said Hill.
Their building originally opened as a catholic church in 1906.
Prior to the break-in, Hill was costly estimates to replace their tattered roof and now this.
"Everything we have to replace is in the thousands of dollars. We are in the process of taking donations and I'm still adding up all the damage," Hills said.
"I just don't understand what type of anger would go through a person's heart that they'd want to come in and destroy a church. I'm hurt and devastated," said Sylvia Curtis, the church's choir director.
"I forgive them. I pray for them and I would tell the people who did this that they are still welcomed to our church. We will rebuild," Hill said.
The church is now holding its services online until it can recover.
Anyone who wants to help them with clean-up or donations may go to their website by clicking here.