A Burke County, North Carolina man has been arrested and charged in connection with the theft of musical instruments and electronics following a recent break-in at First Baptist Church Icard in Connelly Springs.
Eric Harlan Queen, 28, of Connelly Springs, was arrested by the Burke County Sheriff’s Office on March 18 and charged with felony breaking and/or entering to a place of worship, felony larceny after breaking and/or entering, felony possession of stolen property and misdemeanor unlawful use of game land access.
According to the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a reported break-in at First Baptist on March 16. Pastor Micheal Pardue told deputies that someone broke into the church and stole multiple musical instruments and a variety of electronic devices from the sanctuary, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. Pardue recently announced he will be nominated for Southern Baptist Convention 2nd vice president at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis.
Still missing electronic equipment
Pardue said the musical instruments that were taken, which included two bass guitars and an acoustic guitar, had been recovered and returned to the church. Some of the electronic equipment, however, has not yet been recovered. Electronic devices taken included cameras that were used for recording worship services, a camcorder, a cell phone and various other computer equipment, Pardue said.
“We’re grateful for the support we’ve received,” Pardue said. “Incidents like this are a reminder that we live in a fallen world, and we pray that the person involved can turn his life around.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Chad Austin and originally published by Biblical Recorder.
