A Pastor in Sutherland Springs, Texas, has retired five years after the tragic shooting that took place at the local church.
The Lord sent Frank Pomeroy his last sermon as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs when he was out hunting in the wet and freezing Alaskan forest.
Pomeroy speculated that the message may have something to do with the universe as a whole, given the presence of grizzlies, black bears, wolves, and rain.
In an interview with Baptist Press, Pomeroy said, “But God kept leading me back to, this was a chance for me to express what’s vital for the church to carry on,” and from there “He… took me to Paul’s epistle to Ephesus (Acts 20) and we just proceeded from there.”
Perhaps the most prominent recollection associated with First Sutherland Springs is the tragedy that occurred there on November 5, 2017, when a shooter murdered 26 congregants and injured 22 more. First Sutherland Springs has been ministering to the local population of fewer than 1,000 since 1926, 20 of those years being led by Pomeroy.
That “genuine feeling of love and family” is “what actually binds Sutherland Springs together over these 20 years,” he added. As a result, we have always made an effort to welcome newcomers and believed that the church should serve as a gathering place for the neighborhood at times of sadness as well as celebration.
There has always been a strong feeling of family among the locals, whether they live high up in the mountains or down in the valley. And that’s what I value the most: the fact that love endures forever (as Paul put it) and that it will go out to everyone who comes to hear the Word.
I believe again, if we can be recognized as promoting and making sure everyone realized that that pulpit was never my pulpit, it is always God’s pulpit,” he continued, “and as being God’s pulpit, he is reaching out to whomsoever that would listen. Also, the distinguishing feature is that “the church is not the structure; it is the body, and the body ought to go out among the people.”
Pomeroy and his wife Sherri have simplified their lives by selling their house to their youngest son Korey and daughter-in-law Ashley, purchasing a camper trailer, and planned a short road trip before returning to Texas, maybe to engage in a park ministry. Still, he has doubts about God’s ultimate purpose.
Annabelle, their 14-year-old daughter, was one of the 26 people murdered when Devin Kelley stormed into the chapel and started shooting randomly. Kelley ran away and shot himself in the head.
Distribute optimism and healing to the planet.
As Pomeroy put it, the church made it through the disaster by focusing on the positive.
He said, “We might have been validated by the world to chose hatred and ugliness and play the victim card, or we could choose to say we are not victims, we are conquerors. We have decided to have confidence in something bigger than ourselves. … I don’t get it, but I also know that there’s nothing I can do to undo the past, so I’ve decided to start telling myself, “Lord, You are in charge,” every morning. Because of this, God has made Sutherland Springs a shining example for other cities to follow.
Many former atheists have written us to say, “I’m now praying to God because of how you guys handled this.” What gives? This is why we stand up for Jesus:
Pomeroy urged the congregation to have a humble attitude that transcends temporary hurt.
He replied, “Because I know You (God), I will accept what You have given us even though it tastes so horrible, and I will use it to preach the Gospel for Your glory.” God has specifically blessed and honored this.
Pomeroy informed the 200-person congregation at First Sutherland Springs on September 25 that he planned to remain there for as long as the Lord would have him. He based his farewell sermon on Acts 20:17-35.
He assured the assembly, “Whether I’m here physically or not, it does not affect the reality that God does not depart.” The Church is you. Each individual member of the church. As First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, we gather as a body. So long as the members of the church are growing in their personal walk with the Lord, the body of believers in Sutherland Springs will continue to prosper.
As a monument to the victims, the church has destroyed the structure where the shooting took place. The North American Mission Board used money from the Southern Baptist Convention and other donors to build a new church for the congregation in 2019.
In April, roughly 15 miles to the north of the original site, First Sutherland Springs purchased the old Sweet Spirit Baptist Church facility in the adjacent town of St. Hedwig and launched a north campus there.
Despite the congregation’s determination, the Pomeroys have ups and downs.
There are still highs and lows, and I don’t believe you ever get over the death of a kid, he added. But my family in Sutherland Springs—not only my biological family but also the church family—decided to turn to a power beyond itself for answers.
“Although I might have handled it better, God has used this to bring many others to faith in Christ. God is using her and the other martyrs to draw people to himself and save them.
Pomeroy doesn’t provide a specific figure for the new Sutherland Springs sanctuary when asked.
His estimate was 26 lives lost. “I consider the blood shed for that church in Sutherland Springs to be the blood of the twenty-six people, including Annabelle, who were killed there.
“The blood shed here is what constructed this church, and God will repay that sacrifice.”
Be the first to comment