Concern is mounting for a missing Chicago pastor, last spotted in Joliet, as his family and church members plead for public assistance to ascertain his whereabouts. Warren Beard, an assistant pastor at the New Israelite Missionary Baptist Church on Chicago's South Side, was last seen around 9 p.m. last Tuesday. According to ABC7 Chicago, he was in the 400 block of North Broadway Street in Joliet when he disappeared.
Standing 6 feet tall and weighing 200 pounds, Beard, 53, has brown eyes, is bald, and posses tattoos on both arms and his back. He drives a black Honda HRV. The Chicago Police are involved in the search, requesting that anyone with pertinent information call at 312-747-8274. With no trace of Beard's credit cards, vehicle, or any ID, his family's concern intensifies. As Beard's wife relayed to CBS News Chicago, "The fact that we haven't been able to find anything, his credit cards haven't been used, we can't find the vehicle, any ID, we can't find anything."
Beard, who is also the Midwest regional director of facilities for the Preservation of Affordable Housing, was visiting a friend in Joliet and was expected to return home Tuesday night for work the following day. His sudden and uncharacteristic disappearance has left his community and especially his family in a state of distress, with his wife expressing their deep anxiety. "I'm upset," she said. "My children are upset. We just want to find him. We want to bring him home safely."
In a bid to amplify the search efforts, Beard's loved ones have been combing through the area and are planning an event at his church to rally further support. The direness of the situation is palpable, as noted by church leadership and his family who convened a news conference Monday morning to publicize his disappearance and appeal for public aid. The energy of concern is mirrored by congregants who eagerly await positive news and the safe return of their beloved assistant pastor.
