Historic Durham church vandalized on Easter

Vandalism marred the Easter celebration last Sunday at a historic Durham church.

Members of the congregation arrived at Massey’s Chapel United Methodist Church, at 7222 Fayetteville Road, to find upside-down crosses spray-painted on the church's front door, a side wall, the sidewalk and its street sign.

As Easter services went on inside, some members met with Durham police in the parking lot and walked the grounds to look for clues as to who was responsible for the vandalism, police said.

There are no security cameras in the area to provide video of anyone who was in the area late Saturday or early Sunday.

Rev. Kathy Kirkpatrick said she wants to know who committed the vandalism, but more importantly, she said, she wants to know why.

"What were you trying to say and how can we hear you and how can we respond to what that is that you wanted us to hear?" Kirkpatrick said. "This was a sign of desperation, and whoever did this, it was a cry."

Church members were still scrubbing the sidewalk and painting over the vandalism on Friday.

"There was a such a sadness, there was horror, there was disbelief," Kirkpatrick said.

Massey's Chapel was founded in 1855 with an integrated congregation. The current church building was constructed in 1900, and in 1989, it became first building to be put on the Durham Registry of Historic Places.

A Methodist church in Cary had racially-charged and obscene words spray-painted on it last fall.

Anyone with information about the Massey's Chapel vandalism is asked to call Crime Stoppers in Durham at 919-683-1200.