Tennessee police are investigating the suspicious burning of around 200 Bibles that unfolded Easter morning near a well-known church.
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“The trailer, containing Bibles, had been dropped off in the middle of the intersection and then intentionally set on fire,” the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “To uphold the integrity of the ongoing investigation, other specific details cannot be provided at this time.”
The Mt. Juliet Fire Department reportedly extinguished the fire upon arrival at the scene.
The torched trailer was reportedly left near Global Vision Bible Church, a house of worship in Mt. Juliet led by Pastor Greg Locke.
The preacher, known for sharing his political and social views, took to Facebook Sunday morning to respond to the ordeal.
“This morning at 6:00 a.m., our security cameras caught a man dropping off a trailer in the middle of the intersection and blocking the road into our church,” Locke wrote. “He then got out and set fire to an entire trailer full of Bibles right in front of our church.”
According to The Tennessean, Locke said the inferno was “100% directed at” the church.
“It blocked the entrance to our campus and the fact that it was an entire load of Bibles is rather conclusive proof that it was most assuredly directed at us,” he said. “It did not, nor will it stop us. It was cleaned up in time for people to drive into the parking lot. We had a full house and a marvelous service.”
As CBN News previously reported, Locke has made headlines in the past for holding a “burning service” to encourage congregants to burn Ouija boards, copies of “Harry Potter,” and other items.
During one such event in 2022, Locke reportedly encouraged people to bring “Harry Potter stuff” and “Twilight” books and films as well, alleging these products are “full of spells, demonism, shape-shifting, and occultism,” Newsweek reported.
The other items mentioned included spell books, Ouija boards, crystals, and other elements believed to be tied to occultism.
Other such burnings have reportedly unfolded as well.
The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information or video footage surrounding the Bible burnings to share it with authorities. CBN News will continue to cover the story as it unfolds.
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