Taking Up Collection!

It's bad enough worrying about being held up on the job, but imagine having to worry about being held up in church!

The Faith Way Baptist Church in Phillipi, West Virginia, was in the middle of their Sunday service when a gunman came in, ordered the congregation to lie down on the floor, and robbed each person there.

The churchgoers lost about $1,000 in cash and jewelry.

Not too many days later, a local bank was robbed by two men using sawed-off shotguns. They managed to get away with about $19,000. Their descriptions matched those from the church robbery.

Both men were arrested on July 4 after an anonymous phone call.

Some cash was recovered, and jewelry from the church robbery was found in the van of one robber and in the home of the other. At last report the congregation was praying for the gunman-and also prosecuting him!

Copyright © 1990 Bankers' Hotline. Originally appeared in Bankers' Hotline, Vol. 1, No. 10, 9/90