Jesus statue decapitated. Congregation wants head back.

A pastor says a statue of Jesus has been vandalized twice this month outside an Indianapolis church.

Pastor Brad Flaskamp of Cottage Avenue Pentecostal Fellowship says the first time someone knocked the head off the statue and left it nearby. The Indianapolis Star reports that the second time the head disappeared and was likely stolen.

Flaskamp says the sculpture has stood at the church for about four years. A woman who gave the sculpture to the church made repairs to it after the head was removed around Feb. 10 and reattached the head Saturday before the latest vandalism happened.

Flaskamp says the congregation would like the head returned.

Flaskamp said he’s not sure if it’s a hate crime. He said it’s likely someone who has ill feelings about God or maybe just someone that doesn’t like the statue for one reason or another.

“Whatever they’re doing, they ain’t hurting God at all,” he said. “All it does is just make us more persistent. We’re just gonna rebuild it.”

Indianapolis police Sgt. Kendale Adams says the department in investigating and the vandalism has been reported to the FBI.

Flaskamp said he and other members of the congregation are praying God changes the heart of whoever committed the crime.

“We’re praying for you,” he said. “If you’d like to bring it back, we’d gladly accept the head back, and we’d accept you as well.”

This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 9:47 AM with the headline "Jesus statue decapitated. Congregation wants head back.."