A banner celebrating 20 years of the church being an “open and affirming congregation” was folded on the ground, she said.
“They were replaced with so-called Christian flags and banners proclaiming ‘Jesus is King,'” Worthington Berry writes. “Also left behind were copies of anonymous letters that focused on narrow interpretations of certain Bible verses.”
“The letter did not include many verses from the Bible that call us to care for strangers and love our neighbors,” Worthington Berry added.
The vandalism was previously reported by MassLive.
Following a police investigation, “we were able to remove the unwelcome messages and happily return the flags and banners to this historic landmark in the town centre,” Worthington Berry wrote.
“Our congregation came together for worship and proclaimed, as we always do, ‘No matter who you are or where you are in your life’s journey, you are welcome here,'” she said, “especially those who have been told by other churches that their loved ones or themselves are broken, sinful or wrong.”
The vandalism was reported to Natick police Sunday morning, according to Deputy Chief Brian G. Lauzon.
“We are anticipating a time frame between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning,” Lauzon said in an email. “We do not currently have any suspects, but are seeking any available video footage in both areas. No arrests have been made at this time, but the investigation is ongoing. We have asked them to contact the Commonwealth Fusion Center to report any suspicious activity and to see if any similar incidents have been reported in the area.”
Worthington-Berry said people are reaching out to support the church and its mission.
“We have heard from many in our community, not just our church, that our flag in the heart of downtown Natick gives them a sense of belonging,” Worthington Berry wrote. “Destroying a symbol of a historically marginalized group is not an act of God; it is an act of heartache and pain throughout our community.”
The Rev. Christopher Gilbert of Christ Lutheran Church said via Facebook that he learned of the vandalism before Sunday’s service.
“We received a call informing us that two of our banners (one welcoming people to the service with our Reconciling in Christ logo and the other proclaiming ‘Peace’ over a rainbow flag) had been removed and replaced with different banners, one known as the Christian flag and the other proclaiming ‘Jesus is King,'” Gilbert wrote. “In addition to the banners, some overtly anti-LGBTQIA+ lettering was also left behind.”
Gilbert said the vandals were apparently “fellow Christians” who claimed their actions were justified on the basis of the Bible.
“It pains us to see the scriptures we share used against us,” Gilbert wrote. “We believe God’s mercy is available to all. We are saddened by what happened and hope that, if the perpetrator is identified, the Natick community will act with love and restorative justice to ensure this never happens in our city again.”
Gilbert also expressed gratitude for the public’s support.
“We are so grateful for the support we’ve already received from others in our community – not just those within the four walls of our church,” Gilbert wrote. “Clearly, Natick is not a place where we can allow something like this to happen in our town. This is a reflection of what we value most at CLC: loving our neighbors as God has loved us.”
This bulletin will be updated as more information becomes available.
Travis Andersen can be contacted at travis.andersen@globe.com.
