Piedmont church discovers treasured bell was stolen

Sherry Kughn, The Anniston Star, Ala.
·2 min read

Aug. 13—PIEDMONT — A week ago today, the Rev. Hayward Clark had a shock.

His wife, Donna, he and a friend drove into the parking lot of the Congregational Holiness Church on Hughes Street, not far from the parsonage where the Clarks live. As Clark glanced at the front of the building, something was vaguely different. That's when he realized the black, cast-iron bell the children in the congregation loved to ring was no longer in its place.

"For a couple of seconds, I was stunned because something didn't look normal and then I realized the bell was gone," said Clark. "I sort of froze, got out and looked to see if anything was around on the ground."

With the discovery of the theft, Clark called Piedmont police, who wrote a report for the stolen property.

Chief Nathan Johnson said police will stay in touch with church leaders about the case.

"We reach out to them if we hear something and tell them to reach out to us. Everyone would be grateful if the bell would show back up. If anyone has information about who took that property, please call the station and ask for me."

The number for the Piedmont Police Department is 256-447-9091.

Someone in the vicinity of the building said they had seen the bell during the previous evening. That information indicated the bell had been taken between Wednesday evening and Thursday when the Clarks arrived home.

"The bell was heavy," Clark said. "It would have taken two men to move it."

The bell and its cradle, 30 or so inches tall total, had a long connection with the church.

As far as anyone remembers, the bell was probably suspended in the attic of the church building in the 1940s, evidenced by a photo with a mid-1930s car nearby. It had a long rope attached to it. Clark, who was the minister at the church first in 1977, pulled the rope on some Sunday mornings just before worship time. About eight years ago, the bell was moved to the brick structure.

Brandon Cook, a fourth-generation member of the church, worked Thursday morning to install a flagpole next to the brick structure where the bell had sat for the past several years.

"We sure want our bell back," Cook said.

Clark, who worked at the church for a second time from 2000 to 2007 was called out of retirement three years ago just as the pandemic began spreading throughout the area.

"We got hit hard with COVID, but we are starting to pick back up," Clark said. "We started off with 35 members, hit 70, and then this past Sunday we had 50. We are picking back up."

Cook and Clark discussed setting up a GoFundMe account on Facebook, just in case they need to purchase another brass bell.