Sunday, March 08, 2009

Tragedy in Maryville

Please pray for the First Baptist Church family of Maryville, Ill. Today, during their early service, a gunman entered the building and murdered their pastor, Dr. Fred Winters.

This is taken directly from their church website:


A Message About Today’s Loss

Today, a little after our 8:15 service began, a man entered First Baptist Church and fired several gunshots at our Senior Pastor, Dr Fred Winters.

Please pray for Dr. Winter’s family, our two brave members who were injured when they stopped the assailant, for the assailant himself and his family, and for our church members as they deal with this tragic loss.

In this day, where uncertainty seems to abound creating an environment in which people are vulnerable in doing things they might not do otherwise, one thing is certain, we, as human beings need a foundation upon which we can live our lives. We at First Baptist Maryville, along with other Christian believers, share this conviction: that foundation is God’s Word. In the pages of the Book we call the Bible, we find the pathway for peace, hope, and a quality of living life despite what circumstances we find ourselves in.

To those who believe in the power of prayer, we covet your prayers right now.

3 comments:

Michael said...

I hate seeing this. I would be lying if I said these instances weren't in the back of my mind when I go to church. It's just so sad.

Anonymous said...

Such a tragedy and one true indicator of the state of our nation.

Rick, what are your beliefs on this subject? Was it this man's time to die? Are there times when choices a person makes puts them in a different path than the one God intended for them? Etc.

Monk-in-Training said...

This has made me think of when Vikings raided through Europe, they headed for the Churches first, killing and looting.

And when the barbarians poured into the Roman Empire. Churches were often the first target.

May God recived the soul of Rev Winters, and may he shine with a Martyrs crown.