03:46 PM EST on Tuesday, March 23, 2004

By AMY LEHTONEN / WCNC.com

Someone stole a church car from a pastor who was getting it washed at a local Auto Bell Monday evening.

Walter Howard, the pastor at Greater Bethel AME Church, was getting the church’s 2003 Lincoln Town Car washed at the Auto Bell on South Boulevard around 5:15 p.m.

The vehicle was running while employees dried the car outside the car wash. When the employee raised his hand to signal the car was finished, the suspect jumped in and took off. No arrests have been made.