LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Lexington man is offering a $500 reward to anyone who can reunite him with his beloved bible after his car was stolen overnight.
John Withers said he forgot to shut his garage Tuesday night before going to bed.
“A couple of young men, we now know from cameras in the neighborhood, were going down the street checking car doors and my whole garage was open so the key was in the car and they took off,” Withers said.
Inside the 2005 silver Toyota Matrix was an old, tattered bible Withers was gifted by his son Breck in the late 90s.
“It was just completely falling apart. It was held together by two rubber bands,” Breck Withers said.
John Withers has dedicated his life to service, mentoring Lexington’s youth with the establishment of the Lexington Leadership Foundation and sharing in the teachings of the bible as the founding pastor at the Open Door Church in Lexington.
Withers was known for carrying the now missing bible to all his meetings with people over the years.
Now, gone with the car are years of memories scribbled in the margins of the old, green bible.
“That’s really what makes it special. You can’t replace that part with a new bible,“ said Withers.
Withers said in addition to the reward money, he doesn’t intend to press charges for the stolen car, and he wants to gift whoever returns the items with a bible.
Withers said he wants to share in a story of redemption and God’s love and mercy with the people who return his bible.
If you would like to get in contact with the Withers family, you can reach them through email at breckwithers@yahoo.com.
