United Methodist bishop prays for shooting victims
Dec. 10, 2007
NOTE: A photograph is available at http://umns.umc.org.
By United Methodist News Service
Offering prayers for those affected by two shootings in Colorado, a United Methodist bishop questioned the use of guns "in a society that claims to be civil and compassionate."
Five people died in two separate incidents Dec. 9, including a gunman, and five others were wounded.
Bishop Felton E. May, interim chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, issued a Dec. 10 statement lamenting the loss of life from the two incidents, which may be related. "May God heal the bodies of survivors and the grief of those who mourn the dead," he said.
Early on Dec. 9, a gunman killed Tiffany Johnson, 26, and Philip Crouse, 24, after being refused lodging at Youth With a Mission, a live-in Christian missionary center in Arvada, Colo. Two other staff members were wounded, one critically.
Later that day, at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, two teenage sisters, Rachael Works, 16, and Stephanie Works, 18, were shot and killed in the parking lot and their father, David Works, 51, was wounded. A female security guard shot and killed the gunman as he entered the church. The gunman's identity has not been released.
During a Dec. 10 press conference, the Rev. Brady Boyd, New Life senior pastor, said the church's biggest concern was for the Works family. "One of the young girls just returned from an overseas mission trip - they are very committed here," he said. He added that the church also was praying for the family of the attacker.
"We long to know the reasons for such outbursts of fury, which occur at many types of places - schools, shopping malls, offices and churches," May said in his statement. "We long for healing of those whose rage or confusion or hatred leads them to such wanton violence.
"We also long for effective legislation and law enforcement to control or ban the weapons used in these kinds of attacks. Yet another wave of shootings, including those in Colorado, sends a signal that guns have very little or any place in a society that claims to be civil and compassionate."
News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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United Methodist News Service Photos and stories also available at: http://umns.umc.org
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