WORCESTER — For almost a decade, First Baptist Church in Worcester has flown a rainbow flag as a symbol of welcome for the LGBT community, a group that many churches have historically excluded.
Over the course of three weeks in 2023, that flag was stolen twice, setting in motion a Police Department investigation that eventually identified a teenage suspect.
At First Baptist, the prevailing attitude was not anger but hope for reconciliation.
Neither Worcester police nor a spokesperson from District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.’s office could publicly confirm any details of the case, as the accused is a minor.
First Baptist Church seasonal minister The Rev. Katherine Blaisdell said the teen is from a neighboring town.
First Baptist Church traditionally holds a Pride weekend service the day after Worcester’s Pride parade, welcoming LGBT Christians from across Massachusetts for a morning of prayer. At the 2023 Pride weekend service, on Sept. 10, the pews were full.
“There were people there who had not been in a church for a long time,” First Baptist Church moderator Sarah Sams said.