$3 million raised for shooting survivors
Sutherland Springs pastor announces total after discord
SUTHERLAND SPRINGS — Responding to calls for transparency after a bitter fight over financial aid, leaders of First Baptist Church revealed for the first time Sunday that nearly $3 million in donations had poured in to assist victims of last year’s massacre and their families.
“That looks like a lot of money, but with the medical conditions and the things that are going on … that can burn away really quick,” Pastor Frank Pomeroy said to the congregation in an informational meeting after Sunday services.
The millions of dollars sent to the church in a charitable spirit became a source of contention for a community that was already suffering tremendous loss. On Nov. 5, gunman Devin Kelley opened fire in the First Baptist Church sanctuary during services, killing 26 and wounding 20. It was the fifth deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
The congregation struggled to handle the deluge of donations: cash, checks and thousands of cards and homemade items. It took months to sort through it all and arrange a system for distribution.
Some victims’ family members began questioning church leaders’ methods, and community members attacked each other online, causing the pastor’s wife, Sherri Pomeroy, to dissolve in tears at home, the Pomeroys said. In April, the Sutherland Springs Facebook group, created to support those affected by the tragedy, erupted in dissension and was eventually frozen. At the time, Frank Pomeroy appealed for unity.
“I’ve always believed in transparency. I know it may have made it look like we were not trying to be transparent before, but we just weren’t ready,” Pomeroy said Sunday. “That’s how you get in trouble, when you start presenting things you’re not ready to present.”
After Sunday’s services, church leaders offered their first accounting of the donations, announcing the total — $2.91 million — and handing out to congregants a one-page spreadsheet showing the bal-
ance in various relief funds and the broad purposes designated by donors. The donations were sent to the church, a Wells Fargo relief fund and two PayPal accounts.
The $2.91 million in total contributions does not include $24,146 earmarked by donors for specific survivors and victims’ family members.
Congregants asked no questions about the financial accounting, and the church emptied out quickly.
‘Simple, simple math’
In an interview, Pomeroy said he typically reported how much the church raised once a year. He said in this case, the church leaders were not in a position to make the financial disclosure until now.
Across the country, communities hit by mass shootings have endured the difficult, complicated process of deciding who should be eligible for financial aid and how much they should receive. After the 2016 Pulse night club shooting in Florida, unmarried partners of those slain did not qualify for assistance, sparking frustration in the LGBTQ community. After the deaths of 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Fla., this year, arguments broke out over whether those who were on campus but did not witness the shooting should be eligible.
Lisa McNulty, whose daughter Tara McNulty was killed in the massacre, was particularly concerned about how money would be distributed to surviving family members. After the massacre, she became the caretaker of her two grandchildren. A few months ago, she called on Pomeroy and Pat Dziuk, the chair of the committee charged with distributing aid, to reveal how much the church had spent.
“We just want to know how much. Give us the amount. And then we want to know how much is left. It’s simple, simple, math, and all you get is a runaround,” McNulty said in April.
Now that she knows the number, she said she was surprised at how large it is.
“The people of the United States poured their hearts out for their victims,” McNulty said. “And I think it’s a pity it’s taken this long for anybody to receive it.”
Victims’ families involved
Some church members who were intimately affected by the massacre have helped manage the receipt and distribution of donations.
Michelle Shields, who lost her mother in the tragedy and is the mother-in-law of the gunman, helped oversee the Wells Fargo relief fund. John Holcombe, who lost nine family members, including his wife, three children and parents, helped keep track transactions.
Dziuk said he’s not convinced Sunday’s disclosure will quell concerns. Pomeroy said he thought it could rile people up more.
“I’d rather be transparent and let them make up their stories as they want, and that way I have nothing to hide. It’s just a matter of honesty,” he said.
Pomeroy closed out the informational meeting with a prayer.
“Father God, I thank you for the opportunity we’ve had to share these things,” he said. “And God? I just thank you for a great day.” of PayPal