Thieves have torn apart air-conditioning units and stripped copper wiring from more than 30 buildings across St. Louis, and houses of worship have taken some of the hardest hits. Congregations at Kennerly Temple Church of God in Christ, Kossuth Church of God in Christ, Mount Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, and Greater Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church have all been targeted, leaving pastors scrambling to cover repair bills that in one case top $150,000.
At Kennerly Temple Church of God in Christ, four rooftop air-conditioning units were vandalized and a water meter damaged, according to FOX 2, which put the total damage to the church's air units at more than $150,000. Surveillance cameras at the church captured suspected thieves tearing apart the units, and Pastor Edgar Madison Jr. said he is praying for those responsible. The destruction happened as St. Louis Metropolitan Police investigate a wave of thefts hitting more than 30 buildings citywide.
The damage at Kennerly Temple was not just financial. In June, the church's cooling system was targeted, and by July 10 a family was forced to hold a funeral for a 97-year-old parishioner without working air conditioning during the summer heat, according to reporting cited in the dossier tied to Kennerly Temple's ordeal. The church sits in North St. Louis's historic The Ville neighborhood, a landmark congregation now facing a costly rebuild.
A Second Congregation Left With a $75,000 Bill
Kossuth Church of God in Christ, located on Clarence Avenue, was also targeted recently when thieves destroyed two rooftop air-conditioning units. Pastor Robert Strong estimated that replacing the two units could cost more than $75,000, and church leaders have since launched fundraising efforts to cover the expense. Mount Chapel Missionary Baptist Church and Greater Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church were swept up in the same theft wave, though further details on the extent of damage at those two locations were not specified.
St. Louis police spokesperson Mitch McCoy said investigators cannot pinpoint one suspect or group responsible for the thefts, and no specific suspect or group has been identified. McCoy said those responsible will be held to the fullest extent of the law once identified. Police are asking anyone with information or surveillance video to contact investigators.
Record Copper Prices Fuel a Statewide Crime Wave
The thefts tearing through St. Louis churches are unfolding against a backdrop of record scrap copper prices. Prices reached roughly $6.53 per pound in July, up sharply from the $3 to $5 range seen in 2025, driven by surging demand tied to electric vehicles, wind turbines, and data centers, according to KSDK. Those prices make the copper components inside commercial HVAC units especially attractive to thieves looking for quick cash.
The station also reported that telecommunications provider AT&T ranked Missouri as the third-worst state in the nation for copper wire theft in 2026, underscoring that the church thefts are part of a much broader statewide problem. Metal theft has disrupted utilities, communication networks, and private property across the state throughout the year.
State lawmakers responded by toughening penalties in 2026. Under Missouri law, unauthorized possession of copper or other critical utility materials is now a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison when stolen from critical infrastructure or committed by a repeat property offender, per the Revised Statutes of Missouri. Separate state scrap metal statutes bar dealers from making cash payments over $500 or buying HVAC components without documented proof of ownership, requiring payment by check and government ID record-keeping for every transaction.
Community Groups Step In With Cameras and Fundraising
With churches largely left to fend for themselves, community organizations have started stepping in. James Clark of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis said in August that the organization is working to provide security help, including motion-sensor cameras, to impacted churches, according to FOX 2. Clark's group has also appealed to regional megachurches for financial assistance.
The pattern of theft and property damage striking St. Louis churches is not isolated to this wave. Hoodline previously reported on a St. Louis County man charged with two counts of burglary after allegedly stripping copper plumbing from vacant apartments, causing severe flooding across multiple units — a reminder that metal theft often causes damage far exceeding the value of the metal itself. Hoodline also reported that repeated vandalism and theft contributed to the Archdiocese of St. Louis's decision to pull two century-old North St. Louis Catholic churches, St. Augustine and St. Matthew the Apostle, from regular worship as of July 13. And in August, police in nearby Lemay investigated an incident in which a suspect used a saw and an axe to destroy a wooden cross outside a 120-year-old church, part of a broader pattern of property risk facing faith communities across the region this year.
