Thieves steal historic half-ton bell from church

By Mashaun D. Simon

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A copper bell that has been with a local church since its founding in 1868 has gone missing.

The large copper bell, weighing anywhere between 600 and 1,000 lbs, belongs to Antioch African Methodist Episcopal Church. It was discovered missing sometime around April 19 or 20, James Simon, church administrator, told the AJC.

“Some actually cried when we discovered it was gone,” Simon said. “It feels like a part of the church’s personality is gone.”

The bell had been sitting on a pallet in the back of the church since they moved to their current location on S. Hairston Road in 1995. Plans had been to have it remounted at the new location.

“When we moved here from Decatur we had to pay someone to move it,” Simon said. “That’s just how heavy it is.”

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