A North Carolina pastor suffered the theft of his car from his church parking lot on Thursday, April 18. Pastor Barry Washington of Whole Man Ministries in Winston-Salem said that even though he had just bought the car two weeks ago and the experience left him feeling “violated,” he still forgave the thief.
“I would tell the young man, ‘I forgive you. I understand that we make decisions that are not good decisions,’” Washington told FOX8 News. “I would hope that he would bring the vehicle back and apologize, and I would leave it at that.”
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Washington said he is praying for the perpetrator but that he will let the charges stand if law enforcement catch the thief. “Maybe he’ll see this footage,” the pastor said to WFMY News2. “Maybe he’ll see it and say, ‘Look, I did wrong, they caught me red-handed,’ and bring the vehicle back.”
North Carolina Pastor: ‘We’ll Forgive You’
Barry Washington founded Whole Man Ministries Church and pastors it with his wife, Camilla. The ministry describes itself as “a grassroots, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization whose mission is to contribute to the ‘holistic’ development of people—i.e., body, mind and spirit.”
The church puts a high priority on working with organizations in its community and has ministries focused on homelessness, incarceration, food insecurity, continuing education for adults, and the needs of veterans.
“Whole Man Ministries of NC is committed to ‘go the distance’ to make a difference one life at a time,” says the church’s website. “Our desire is to reach beyond the walls to connect with and assist people in need throughout the larger community.”
Washington was inside his church on Thursday and said that, prior to the theft, someone had just checked the miles on his 2015 Chevy Equinox for him. When that person went back outside to the car moments later, the vehicle was gone.
Security footage shows a tow truck backing up to Washington’s car, hitching to it, and driving away. The theft took less than a minute and occurred in the middle of the day.
Not only was Washington’s Chevy newly purchased but the North Carolina pastor, who uses a wheelchair, also experienced an attempted carjacking in 2008 that left him paralyzed. During that incident, the perpetrator threatened him with a gun.
