Record crowd comes to mourn at Texas church
ONE WEEK after a maniac mass shooter stormed a small-town Texas church, so many mourners attended a Sunday service that it was held in a baseball field.
More than 500 people attended the service in a large tent under rainy skies in Sutherland Springs. The tent’s flaps had to be opened to accommodate the gathering, which was the largest in the 100-year history of First Baptist Church.
Among the speakers at the first Sunday gathering since 26 people were killed was the church’s pastor, Frank Pomeroy, who was out of town during the Nov. 5 massacre. Pomeroy’s 14-year-old daughter, Annabelle, died in the slaughter.
“We have the freedom to choose. And rather than choose darkness as that young man did that day, I say we choose life,” Pomeroy told the crowd. “The people who died, lived for their Lord and Savior.”
Pomeroy delivered a sermon about the power of faith in the face of tragedy. He saw the shooting as part of a biblical conflict between good and evil. Many people had experienced a spiritual awakening after the shooting — proof, he said, that good will prevail. The first three rows of the tent were reserved for survivors of the attack and the families of victims.
“I know everyone who gave their life that day — my best friends and my daughter — I guarantee beyond any shadow of a doubt they’re dancing with Jesus today,” he said, choking up.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn was among those attending. He called the pain of losing 26 people “overwhelming.”
“It’s only been seven days, but this community is back to worship, bound together by faith,” the Texas Republican said.
Americans throughout the country were praying for Sutherland Springs, he said.
“It really shows the resilience, to come back from such a horrific and awful tragedy,” said Baine Serna, 41, who joined the hundreds of other supporters and mourners.
The service was held two blocks from the church, where Devin Kelley, 26, launched his attack that authorities say was sparked by a domestic dispute.
Mark Collins, a First Baptist former associate pastor, said church members had forgiven Kelley.
“Devin was a young man that was distorted by who knows what and darkened by what?” Collins said. “We don’t know, but our prayers go to his family because they have sustained a loss, too. It’s very unfortunate that he had to make the decisions that he did. But we do forgive him.”
The scene of the heinous crime was reopened for the press Sunday afternoon after having been repainted and restored. The church was mostly empty, except for chairs bearing the names of each victim, along with a rose. Each chair was placed where the victim’s body was found.
Among the supporters were 18 members of the Black Sheep Bikes motorcycle group. Pomeroy rides with the crew.
“We are coping day by day,” said one member, Lyle, 48, who declined to give his last name.
“We are here for (Pomeroy) and the community.”
Kelley killed himself after being shot and chased from the church. It emerged he had a history of domestic violence and had been discharged from the Air Force after pleading guilty to beating his first wife and stepson.
Nevertheless, Kelley was able to buy firearms because the Air Force failed to enter information regarding his crimes into an FBI database.