BOYKINS—Last week, Clarksbury Baptist Church was burglarized for the third time since July, according to Rev. James B. Jarratt, the church’s assistant pastor.

Expensive audio equipment was stolen in the first two break-ins at the church. However, this time thieves stole a vacuum cleaner and something that’s much more valuable sentimentally — the church record book. The record book was used to track attendance and offering amounts.

“I just can’t understand why anybody would want to take that. They must be sick,” Jarratt said. “The only value is to us.”

Jarratt said that the church’s 200th anniversary is next August, and he was planning on using the record book to compile data. He said that the book is over 25 years old and could possibly be 40 years old.

“The church really needs that,” he said. “It’s years and years old.”

The door was hard to secure after the first break-in, according to Jarratt. He said that the church was broken into sometime between Aug. 23 and this past Thursday, when bars were installed to secure the church’s doors.

Jarratt said that the Southampton County Sheriff’s Department was called out to investigate the first two break-ins, but not the latest one.

“We didn’t even call them this time,” he said.

Jarratt asks that residents in the area and passers-by “just keep an eye on the church and if you see a strange vehicle there just let us know.”