Posted on Nov 26, 2007 | by Jerry Pierce

DALLAS (BP)--Gun-wielding robbers entered First Baptist Church of Dallas Thanksgiving night and bound three security guards with rope while they stole eight plasma televisions valued at $5,000 and a cell phone from one of the guards.

No one was reported injured in the heist, which occurred just before midnight and involved at least two robbers caught on video surveillance as they moved from room to room throughout the building, Dallas Police Sgt. Gil Cerda said.

On Saturday police arrested one of the robbery suspects, Myron Moats, 26, of Dallas, at a Fort Worth apartment complex. As of Monday, Moats remained in the Dallas County Jail on $100,000 bond, online jail records showed.

Robert Jeffress, pastor of the historic downtown church, told those attending Sunday morning services Nov. 25 that the church should avoid a vengeful attitude and should instead pray for the robbers.

Jeffress finished a sermon series Nov. 25 on the New Testament Book of Philippians, encouraging members toward godly contentment, "which was a perfect way to end that series encouraging people to have the mind of Christ," church member Kathy Sibley said.

"He spoke about having the right attitude and to pray for the men who did this," Sibley said, "that they would consider God's justice as well as Jesus' sacrifice for our sins on the cross. It was a fabulous pastoral directive toward the eternal."

Cerda said two of the three security guards were able to free themselves after the robbers fled.

"It is still an ongoing investigation and we are still seeking one and possibly two other suspects," Cerda said. "We did bring in some other people for questioning, but no additional arrests were made."
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Jerry Pierce is managing editor of the Southern Baptist TEXAN, newspaper of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.