'Targeted' attacks on Lakeview church that supports LGBTQ+ community are ramping up, pastor says

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A church in Lakeview has become victim to frequent, targeted attacks, seemingly because they support the LGBTQ+ community.

The pastor at Holy Covenant United Methodist Church spoke with ABC7 about what she calls the escalating acts of hate, and what they're doing to try to stop it.

Pastor Jennifer Stephens said the church has been undergoing attacks for almost a year now, but the vandalism has really ramped up within the past month.

"My biggest concern is to keep my community safe," Stephens said. "And not just my church community, but those that live in this area."

Nearly every other day the past month, someone has been vandalizing the church that openly supports the LGBTQ+ community.

"I really think it's an intentional, targeted act," Stephens said. "Whether the individual lives here or not, I know that they are doing this purposely to this church to holy covenant."

Welcome signs have been destroyed or stolen, forcing them to now chain their signs to light poles. The pride flag that flies outside was torn off, and written messages of hope have been erased or damaged.

"We are all made in the image of God," Stephens said. "God is transgender, non-binary, right? And that got definitely knocked over, wiped off. And then even saying, 'you are loved,' it was erased."

The culprit even re-wrote their own messages on the church's signage.

"They took a black marker and wrote some hate messages, and used some scripture on there that is typically used to harm an LGBTQIA person," Stephens said.

The pastor said this has happened over 20 times.

"I don't want it to escalate further to where community is being harmed, where the individual - whoever they are - thinks they're getting away with it, and that they can just keep doing it," Stephens said.

She said their messages of love and acceptance have to be louder than hate, and this destruction will not break them.

"The individuals that keep on doing this, it's not going to stop that message," Stephens said.

The pastor said she's filed multiple police reports and plans to set up security cameras to hopefully catch whoever is doing this.