Items worth almost £20,000 are believed to have been taken following a second burglary at a place of worship in Hackney within eight weeks.

High-value electronics and vintage golden crucifixes disappeared during the raid on Holy Temple Church of Christ in London Fields.

The culprits, wearing masks, destroyed the altar area and stubbed cigarettes on the flooring before departing with the loot.

Pastor’s aide Elizabeth Alabi expressed the congregation’s distress, stating that nothing remained after the intruders took everything.

The initial incident occurred in December 2025, with the same establishment on Greenwood Lane targeted again just four weeks later.

Elizabeth noted that while the congregation was still grappling with the consequences of the first crime, the offenders returned.

A local resident spotted the church entrance ajar and alerted members, who arrived at four in the morning to discover everything had vanished.

Among the stolen property were antique golden crucifixes, bells and a musical instrument valued at £3,000 that had been presented to the congregation.

The electronic equipment taken comprised 15 microphones, large speaker units, mixing consoles, a portable computer and a keyboard.

Elizabeth calculated the overall worth of the missing items at close to £20,000.

The church supports orphanages in Africa and collects funds for cancer research and the British Heart Foundation, though these activities have been hindered by the break-ins.

With speaker systems missing, the minister has been forced to deliver addresses at full volume, and some attendees have ceased coming to services.

The structure itself sustained considerable damage during both incidents, including harm to wall surfaces.

Elizabeth observed that the perpetrators appeared to be searching for additional valuable items, leaving her astounded.

She mentioned feelings of anxiety, explaining that congregation members sometimes need to venture outside to check whether someone might be concealed nearby.

Following encouragement from others, Elizabeth established an online fundraising campaign aiming to gather £2,000 for replacement equipment.

She described the church as urgently requiring assistance and expressed gratitude for any contributions toward restoring equipment and maintaining services.

The Metropolitan Police was approached for a statement.