PHOENIX (CBS5) -
It's going to be a hot Sunday service at a Valley church after the pastor discovered its air conditioning units' copper wires were stolen.
Desert Hope Wesleyan Church is no stranger to copper crooks. Pastor William Woods said its been targeted three times since December 2011.
"We're dead in the water as far as air conditioning tomorrow (Sunday), we'll probably try to get by best we can with fans and stuff," he said.
Woods said while they'll be hot during the service, the person who stole the copper might be spending an eternity in an even hotter place.
He said copper thieves targeted Desert Hope Wesleyan Church on Friday night.
"We have had the copper stolen from us three different times since December," he said.
Woods said thieves ripped wire out of this 15-ton unit. The unit was actually a replacement for one thieves damaged before.
"It'll be at least six weeks before we can replace this, I mean if it's like the last stuff. It's gotta be ordered and brought in and everything else. It doesn't happen overnight," he said.
Eight other air conditioning units were stolen from the church in May.
"It stopped us from administering to the neighborhood like we want to. It just really threw a monkey wrench into the plans for this summer," said Woods.
What kind of person would steal, especially from a church? Woods has an answer.
"A thief, somebody that thinks they're getting away with something - but it's not over. God will talk to them about it if they're not caught," he said.
Woods said hiring a security guard, or maybe putting barbed wire above the gates has been mentioned. But there are no hard plans right now.
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