It happened last Monday night at the Chinese Christian Church & Center on 11th and Vine streets.
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"We thought somebody took it for a ministry or something. Then we looked at the surveillance video and found that somebody took it," said Pastor Li.
Surveillance video showed a white van with a yellow ladder on the roof and temporary tags pull up alongside the 2011 Ford Econoline 15 passenger van.
You can see a man wearing a yellow hard hat get out of his van while his accomplice gains access to the church van.
Within 20 seconds, the church van's tail lights turn on as the thief turns on the ignition.
Moments after, both vans are driven away from the property.
Pastor Li says he's unsure how the thieves were able to start the engine.
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The missing van is registered in Pennsylvania with the license plate KXC-5525.
According to Pastor Li, the van is used to transport senior citizens to church on Sundays and children to summer camp.
"We'll have to ask some of our members to take people here for church with their own personal vehicles, minivans and so forth. And we also have to figure out how to transport students because summer is coming up very soon," said Pastor Li.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Philadelphia police.