HUMBLE, Texas — A pastor in Humble requested on Sunday that members of his church forgive the group of teens who allegedly dug up the corpse of a boy and used the skull to smoke pot.

Pastor Scott Jones said that one of the tenets of the church is forgiveness.

“We have a responsibility as Christians to release these young men,” Jones said.

But that’s asking his congregation to dig deep. The Grace Church of Humble serves as caretaker for the old Humble Negro Cemetery, where the alleged crime took place.

The church took on the job roughly two years ago, and many in the congregation were horrified to learn of the charges against the teens.

Police believe the teens dug up the 11-year-old boy’s grave and made a bong out of his skull. 

Three of the teens have already been arrested, and a fourth may also face charges.

But Jones said the church can’t carry a grudge.

“Let the judicial system do what it’s going to do. But as for us, as a congregation, it’s our responsibility to release those guys into the hands of God and the hands of the judges,” he said.

Volunteers with the church plan to return to the cemetery to continue repairs on Memorial Day weekend.

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The 11-year-old boy's grave

They also said they plan to reach out to the families of the accused teens, who the pastor says are also suffering.

“These parents, these families are from this area. And our heart goes out to them. We’ve never met them, but we would love to see if we could help them through the painful process,” Jones said.