A man charged with having vandalized a Wisconsin church reportedly said his reason for committing the vandalism was because he was “really angry at God.”
Last week, Jute T. Handrick allegedly broke through the glass door entry of Celebration Church and proceeded to break all the windows of the building, reported the Stevens Point Journal.
The 35-year-old, who was already on probation for unrelated charges, now faces a criminal charge for damaging religious property. Handrick was on probation due to a charge of felony bail jumping, and in February 2024, he was sentenced to 20 months in prison for violating his probation.
When police arrived at the church, they found a handwritten note that read, “Tell Jesus I said f--- you and who U with. Amen.” The note, signed "Love Jute,” was written on a probation card with appointment information and a probation officer's name.
Hours after police arrived at the church, Handrick turned himself in to the Portage County Law Enforcement Center in Stevens Point, according to the Journal, with him reportedly telling authorities that he had gotten "really angry at God" due to his current life situation.
Handrick had been charged with criminal damage to religious property as a repeat offender and is scheduled to make an initial appearance in court on the charge on Sept. 29.
Earlier this month, the Family Research Council released its latest "Hostility against Churches in the United States" report, which found that, in 2024, there were 415 reported hostile acts against churches across 43 states, which affected 383 houses of worship.
"Although the motivations for many of these incidents remain unknown, the rise in crimes against churches is taking place in a context in which fewer Americans are attending religious services or identifying with a specific faith," the report explained.
“According to Gallup, 42 percent of U.S. adults regularly attended religious services 20 years ago, but now that number has fallen to 30 percent. This decline means that fewer Americans share a common understanding of what church buildings represent.”
In December 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a guide to help churches enhance security for their sanctuaries, titled “Physical Security Performance Goals for Faith-Based Communities.”
