Church staff shocked by burglary and vandalism

Lusila Koro at the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa, which was burgled at the weekend. Photo / Natalie Slade

Members of a West Auckland church are upset after thieves made off with a number of items but left the church organ near the door, apparently too heavy to take.

The burglars smashed windows and damaged the main door of the Samoan Congregational Christian Church in Massey during the break-in, believed to have taken place between Sunday evening and Monday afternoon.

The Rev Apisaloma Apisaloma said he was shocked by the crime.

"I couldn't believe it. After 25 years, I have never had anything like this happen to the church.

"I never thought someone could steal from a church."

Choirmaster John Pese arrived around 4.30pm on Monday to practise the piano for an upcoming event.

He found the windows of the minister's office smashed and window panels on the church doors and the door broken.

"I saw the office was open and it was all messy inside. The main door was jammed, like somebody had tried to break it down and the windows were smashed.

"I went inside the church and saw the piano - the lid was open and it had been moved."

It appeared as if the thief or thieves had tried to drag the church organ - valued at around $20,000 - towards a nearby door, but had given up trying to steal it.

A laptop, a printer and a computer were stolen. A lawnmower is also missing.

The thieves also broke into the church kitchen, where members found their microwave on the oven and stuffed with cutlery and kitchenware that had apparently been forgotten or abandoned.

Church treasurer Lusila Koro said alarm systems and extra lighting had been installed after thieves broke into the church pre-school last year.

"It's just bad, really bad.

"How can you steal from a church? It's not right," she said.

Former Manu Samoa captain Peter Fatialofa, who runs his own piano-moving company, said pianos could weigh up to 600kg and you would need two "big guys" or six "normal-sized people" to move it.

Mr Fatialofa said church organs, however, were significantly heavier, so the thieves would have been in for a challenge.

"This guy probably thought it was easy. But you need to know what you're doing."

Mr Apisaloma said that although it had been a hurtful thing that had happened, there was still a Christian message to be learned from the robbery.

"There's a message there - that we need to continue teaching about the sacredness of the church."

Anyone with information about the burglary should contact Henderson police on: (09) 839-0600 or CrimeStoppers on: 0800-555-111.