Shortly after St. George's Anglican Church finished a morning service on Sunday, the parish treasurer was on his way to the bank when two gunmen robbed him of the church offerings, the church's rector said yesterday.
Police confirmed that at 11:30 a.m., two gunmen robbed the man standing outside the church on Montrose Avenue of a deposit bag with an undetermined amount of cash.
Father G. Kingsley Knowles and Parish Administrator Adrian Archer confirmed that the victim in that matter was the church's treasurer.
"The parish treasurer and a number of other people were exiting the church and they were leaving to go and take the offering for the day to the bank," Archer said yesterday.
"Two gentlemen with guns came from behind the garbage tin in the front of the churchyard and ran up on them and robbed them.
"Mr. Davis, who is the treasurer, was sensible enough to throw the money at them so that they didn't get to come up in their face."
Archer said the church has been broken into and robbed before but that no one has ever pulled a gun on a church member.
"People are very bold in this society now," he said.
"Sadly enough people think it's okay to rob a church.
"This church does a lot of community outreach and the money that it takes in goes to help poor people in this community. So we are really sad that people take an opportunity to rob the church."
Knowles said he has been at St. George's for 16 years and he is now hesitant about being at his church office at night.
"My office is attached to the church and I spend long hours there in the night," he said.
"Right now, I am very hesitant about coming to church in the night or leaving in the night because of security, of people invading your privacy.
"This has been a haven where people could come and feel relaxed and feel a sense of awe and wonder and feel a sense of God's presence and security. But it's difficult now.
"This is an eye opener for me. They rob banks but now they are entering the church. That tells you now, well what's next?"
Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean yesterday confirmed that police were still looking for the men responsible for this robbery.
He warned church officials not to travel with large deposits without proper security.
"My advice is for them to use a reputable security company or call the police," he said.
"Things have changed and we all have to be cognizant of our safety."

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