(11/24/03)The number of churches with property found painted with similar graffiti since Thursday has risen to seven, and a restroom at Riverfront Park has also been found with an evangelical message.

Two buildings and a van belonging to Hawkins United Methodist, 3736 Halls Ferry Road, were found painted Friday, the church’s pastor, the Rev. Mitchell Hedgepeth, said this morning.

The messages were similar but not identical to those found Thurday morning in 12 areas in the Vicksburg National Military Park and on four churches with “Church of Christ” in their names. All or part of the phrase, “Jesus is coming. Repent y’all,” was painted.

Later, similar words were also found at Anshe Chesed Temple, 2414 Grove St., and at a VNMP monument on Confederate Avenue outside the park’s boundaries.

The message found in the Riverfront Park restroom and on the church building under construction at Hawkins United Methodist was, “Jesus is coming. Please repent.”

On an existing building at Hawkins, the message “Souls important, not buildings.”

On the church van was painted simply, “Jesus,” Hedgepeth said.

The Hawkins graffiti was all in green paint, Hedgepeth said. The message found at Riverfront Park was painted in black, Vicksburg police spokesman DaVon Grey said.

Hedgepeth said he discussed the vandalism in his sermon Sunday.

“It’s one of those things where we’re hopeful people can find peace in their lives” instead of destroying property, Hedgepeth said.

At St. Michael Catholic Church, off Fisher Ferry Road, messages read, “God + Jesus are one not three,” and “Jesus is coming. Repent y’all.”

Under state law, vandalism that causes more than $1,000 in damage carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

In the park, federal law applies. There, vandals hit:

Bronze plaques inside the Illinois Memorial.

Mississippi and Wisconsin memorials.

A statue of Brig. Gen. Lloyd Tilghman.

A statue of President Jefferson Davis.

A bust of Maj. Gen. Dabney Maury of Mississippi.

A relief faceplate of Capt. Toby Hart of Louisiana.

A cannon on Navy Circle.

The Widow Blakely cannon at Louisiana Circle.

Smaller monuments to units from Indiana, Louisiana and Minnesota.

The surge of painting comes after what had appeared to be pranks at Vicksburg and Warren Central high schools before and after the Nov. 7 football game between the rival schools.

Police have not made a connection between the church and park vandalism with the schools’ damage.