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On the cover of the Sunday, May 26 bulletin at Davenport’s Zion Lutheran Church, parishioners could read a heartfelt letter from the young man who broke in and robbed their house of worship last month.
Writing from Scott County Jail, 24-year-old Trenton Stewart apologized to the congregation, after receiving many notes from church members.
One such note from a Zion member said in part: “The role of the church is love, grace and forgiveness. I am sorry there are conditions in your life that led you to take from our church. You are welcome here.”
The following letter—handwritten by Stewart and dated May 7—was delivered to Zion Monday, May 20:
“I know you guys did not deserve that at all. No matter how much I want to put it on a heavy drug addiction… The truth is that I let the devil into my heart. No matter what I was wrong. I never would of imagined to receive a letter from you guys… I’m in my cell now writing this letter feeling guilty but very loved at the same time. Thank you so much, I really loved all of the notes you have wrote me!!
“Even though I was in a tough situation… I also know I put myself into that tough situation… I’m just sorry that I brought my troubles unto all of you guys and destroyed your guys church all at the same time.
“I’m honestly expecting to go to prison for all of this and I know God will be with me during this as long as I stay strong in faith in him.
“I absolutely know and understand if not, but I really don’t have nobody, my mom is the only I but she is in a abusive relationship… Anyways she really can’t because he’ll flip-out on my mom but if you would be able to help me out with a few bucks on my books that would be if not amazing.
“I’m understanding completely if not… I know my Grandpa “David” was Lutheran and he used to say “Ask & you shall receive” but he also used to say “The Golden Rule: Treat ppl the way that you want to be treated” And for that I am sorry for not following The Golden Rule… I am deeply sorry & would love to keep writing letters back & forth, it made at least my world a little brighter when I got some mail thank you.”
Stewart drew a heart and inside, he wrote:
“Thank you for writing me hopefully I will hear back soon.
Please keep me in your guys prayers!
Please send more encouraging notes.
Please teach me more about God, it’s pretty dark in here.
Thank you for not judging me nor hating me… I promise I’m a good person just lost sometimes…”
Stewart was in custody that Saturday, April 27, and he faces a felony charge of third-degree burglary, an aggravated misdemeanor charge of third-degree theft and a serious misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree criminal mischief, according to arrest affidavits.
Olson-Smith said the church has recovered a few items that were stolen, including parts of the security system, but two laptops are gone, and the church has replaced stolen microphones. It has submitted an insurance claim valued at $15,000.
During worship on Sunday, May 5, Zion people wrote to Stewart in Scott County Jail.
“I’ve felt strongly that I myself wanted to reach out to him and I wasn’t quite sure what to say,” Olson-Smith said Tuesday, stressing forgiveness and second chances. He invited church members to write notes to Stewart, and about 30 did, offering compassion, support and forgiveness.
Olson-Smith said one of the problems with the criminal justice system in general is that “it separates us at a time when there’s an opportunity to bring people together. I would hope that healing is the goal and not just punishment, right?” he said. “He’s likely going to prison and who knows for how long, you know? He’s not really paying a debt to Zion by going to prison,” the pastor said.
“At least there could be some reconciliation. I think the line that really stuck out to me from his letter was — I’m sitting here in my cell now writing to you feeling guilty and very loved. And that’s kind of the thing that’s the beginning of what I hope is the ability for him to change his life.”
Moved by response
Olson-Smith said many church members were very moved by Stewart’s response. “Just to hear anything at all felt like a small miracle,” he said. “I could imagine a response of like, ‘screw these guys’ and he would throw it in the trash.”
“There at the end, he asked us to keep sending encouraging notes and he said, ‘Please keep teaching me about God. It’s dark in here’,” Olson-Smith said. “It’s just heartbreaking, you know, heartbreaking.”
n a May 21 letter to Stewart (after receiving his response), the pastor encouraged him to turn his life around.
“God brings life out of death and good out of bad,” Olson-Smith wrote. “Today’s mistakes can be tomorrow’s testimony about the forgiveness and saving power of Jesus.”
“Jesus was always where suffering was, and Jesus healed people in the here and now,” his letter said. “Christians sometimes push that healing down the road to some distant future and reserve it only for the ‘worthy.’ But that was not Jesus’s way, which was a big part of his conflict with the religious leaders of his day. Jesus healed anyone who really wanted to be healed, and that was too much for people who thought they didn’t need any healing.”
Among his arrest record, in April 2021, at age 21 Stewart was charged with burglary and theft after breaking into a home in the 1900 block of W. 36th Street, Davenport, using a screwdriver and other tools. He entered a locked garage, then went into the residence and retrieved the keys for the vehicle in the garage.
Last month, police allege that, once Stewart was inside the Probstei Inn (6315 W. Kimberly Rd., Davenport), he stole various business checks belonging to Probstei Inn, along with a safe.
An hour later on the same day, court records say, Davenport Police responded to CBI Bank & Trust, 2322 E. Kimberly Road, Davenport, in reference to fraud. Arrest affidavits say Stewart entered CBI Bank & Trust with a forged check belonging to Probstei Inn. Court records say the defendant did this twice at different times, and was captured on surveillance footage.
On the cover of the Sunday, May 26 bulletin at Davenport’s Zion Lutheran Church, parishioners could read a heartfelt letter from the young man who broke in and robbed their house of worship last month.
Writing from Scott County Jail, 24-year-old Trenton Stewart apologized to the congregation, after receiving many notes from church members.
One such note from a Zion member said in part: “The role of the church is love, grace and forgiveness. I am sorry there are conditions in your life that led you to take from our church. You are welcome here.”
The following letter—handwritten by Stewart and dated May 7—was delivered to Zion Monday, May 20:
“I know you guys did not deserve that at all. No matter how much I want to put it on a heavy drug addiction… The truth is that I let the devil into my heart. No matter what I was wrong. I never would of imagined to receive a letter from you guys… I’m in my cell now writing this letter feeling guilty but very loved at the same time. Thank you so much, I really loved all of the notes you have wrote me!!
“Even though I was in a tough situation… I also know I put myself into that tough situation… I’m just sorry that I brought my troubles unto all of you guys and destroyed your guys church all at the same time.
“I’m honestly expecting to go to prison for all of this and I know God will be with me during this as long as I stay strong in faith in him.
“I absolutely know and understand if not, but I really don’t have nobody, my mom is the only I but she is in a abusive relationship… Anyways she really can’t because he’ll flip-out on my mom but if you would be able to help me out with a few bucks on my books that would be if not amazing.
“I’m understanding completely if not… I know my Grandpa “David” was Lutheran and he used to say “Ask & you shall receive” but he also used to say “The Golden Rule: Treat ppl the way that you want to be treated” And for that I am sorry for not following The Golden Rule… I am deeply sorry & would love to keep writing letters back & forth, it made at least my world a little brighter when I got some mail thank you.”
Stewart drew a heart and inside, he wrote:
“Thank you for writing me hopefully I will hear back soon.
Please keep me in your guys prayers!
Please send more encouraging notes.
Please teach me more about God, it’s pretty dark in here.
Thank you for not judging me nor hating me… I promise I’m a good person just lost sometimes…”
Stewart was in custody that Saturday, April 27, and he faces a felony charge of third-degree burglary, an aggravated misdemeanor charge of third-degree theft and a serious misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree criminal mischief, according to arrest affidavits.
Olson-Smith said the church has recovered a few items that were stolen, including parts of the security system, but two laptops are gone, and the church has replaced stolen microphones. It has submitted an insurance claim valued at $15,000.
During worship on Sunday, May 5, Zion people wrote to Stewart in Scott County Jail.
“I’ve felt strongly that I myself wanted to reach out to him and I wasn’t quite sure what to say,” Olson-Smith said Tuesday, stressing forgiveness and second chances. He invited church members to write notes to Stewart, and about 30 did, offering compassion, support and forgiveness.
Olson-Smith said one of the problems with the criminal justice system in general is that “it separates us at a time when there’s an opportunity to bring people together. I would hope that healing is the goal and not just punishment, right?” he said. “He’s likely going to prison and who knows for how long, you know? He’s not really paying a debt to Zion by going to prison,” the pastor said.
“At least there could be some reconciliation. I think the line that really stuck out to me from his letter was — I’m sitting here in my cell now writing to you feeling guilty and very loved. And that’s kind of the thing that’s the beginning of what I hope is the ability for him to change his life.”
Moved by response
Olson-Smith said many church members were very moved by Stewart’s response. “Just to hear anything at all felt like a small miracle,” he said. “I could imagine a response of like, ‘screw these guys’ and he would throw it in the trash.”
“There at the end, he asked us to keep sending encouraging notes and he said, ‘Please keep teaching me about God. It’s dark in here’,” Olson-Smith said. “It’s just heartbreaking, you know, heartbreaking.”
n a May 21 letter to Stewart (after receiving his response), the pastor encouraged him to turn his life around.
“God brings life out of death and good out of bad,” Olson-Smith wrote. “Today’s mistakes can be tomorrow’s testimony about the forgiveness and saving power of Jesus.”
“Jesus was always where suffering was, and Jesus healed people in the here and now,” his letter said. “Christians sometimes push that healing down the road to some distant future and reserve it only for the ‘worthy.’ But that was not Jesus’s way, which was a big part of his conflict with the religious leaders of his day. Jesus healed anyone who really wanted to be healed, and that was too much for people who thought they didn’t need any healing.”
Among his arrest record, in April 2021, at age 21 Stewart was charged with burglary and theft after breaking into a home in the 1900 block of W. 36th Street, Davenport, using a screwdriver and other tools. He entered a locked garage, then went into the residence and retrieved the keys for the vehicle in the garage.
Last month, police allege that, once Stewart was inside the Probstei Inn (6315 W. Kimberly Rd., Davenport), he stole various business checks belonging to Probstei Inn, along with a safe.
An hour later on the same day, court records say, Davenport Police responded to CBI Bank & Trust, 2322 E. Kimberly Road, Davenport, in reference to fraud. Arrest affidavits say Stewart entered CBI Bank & Trust with a forged check belonging to Probstei Inn. Court records say the defendant did this twice at different times, and was captured on surveillance footage.
