A Te Awamutu church has taken extreme measures to stop copper thieves.

St John's Church Reverend and parish vicar, Julie Guest, said since November, people had been ripping copper off the church's roof.

Three 4sqm panels had been stolen during multiple incidents, as well as the church's last remaining copper downpipe, Guest said.

Since the theft started ramping up, Guest and her husband had been camping at the church every night and installed security cameras to deter thieves.

"We're campers so we already had the equipment and we have to protect this building."

Last week, Guest and her husband caught a thief in the act.

"We were here in the building sleeping. We thought the noise we were hearing was the building moving in the wind but it was someone on the roof.

"My husband saw him jump off and run away. But because we disturbed him, he wasn't able to take anything."

The incident was caught on camera and they gave the footage to police, Guest said.

The damage to the 60-year-old church was heartbreaking and unnecessary, she said.

"The silly thing is a generous cost of what has been stolen might come to $500 in total but they've caused $125,000 of damage."

The church was fundraising to replace the copper roof with a less robust material, which Guest said would cost more to maintain.

"Not only have they caused us expense now, but in the future because the new roof will have to be replaced but copper wouldn't be."

Having copper on the roof put the building's viability at risk, she said.

"The copper is still in as good of knick as it was when it went on. It doesn't need replacing at all.

"It's sad because there's no better material than copper but to put it back would be asking for trouble."

They had temporarily covered the roof, but it was a short-term solution, she said.

Guest, who had led the Waikato parish of four Anglican churches since 2019, said St John's was also used as a shelter for rough sleepers.

"When things like this happen fingers are pointed at them which is not what we're about. We don't believe it's someone in our community."

The copper spouting on another one of the parish's churches, St Paul's on Rangiaowhia Rd, was also stolen in November.

She said the community was devastated by the damage.

"A place that is taonga and that brings people together is being attacked.

"We're hurting, especially because it is happening at this time of year."

Guest said she would continue to stay at the church overnight until the situation was resolved.

"We can't do it for the rest of our lives but I don't see an end to it until we have a new roof.

"I hope it happens sooner rather than later."

The church had set up a Givealittle page to help fund repairs.

Police said they received a report on December 17of copper stolen from a roof on Arawata Street and they were making enquiries.

By Jessica Hopkins of rnz.co.nz