The church will prevail

Seven years ago, on Nov. 5, 2017, First Baptist Church, of Sutherland Springs, Texas, made news around the world when Devin Kelley killed 26 people and wounded 22 more at their Sunday morning worship service.

According to Wikipedia, it is the deadliest mass shooting ever in the state of Texas and the most fatal shooting ever in a U.S. house of worship. Kelley had a lengthy history of mental illness and had received a bad conduct discharge from the Air Force years earlier after assaulting his wife and fracturing the skull of his toddler stepson.

Around 11:20 a.m., the killer shot two people before he entered the church building and, upon interrupting the church’s worship service, yelled, “Everybody dies…!” then began firing at innocent worshipers. During an 11-minute-long shooting spree, he fired about 450 rounds of ammunition. A camera in the church’s sanctuary recorded the massacre. As Kelley was escaping, Stephen Willeford, a former firearms instructor, managed to wound him twice, though the shooter was wearing body armor.

Despite the tragic killing of 26 worshipers, the church did not cease to exist. It did move out of its building because of the horrible trauma experienced by the congregation, but the church did not die and continues to passionately minister to its community. The church offers two free meals each week: breakfast on Sunday morning and supper on Thursday evening. They also run a food pantry that generously provides groceries to the poor of their city each Monday evening.

Rather than fall apart, this church grew and now operates two campuses. One, a few blocks from the congregation’s original site, is built of stone to symbolize the strength of both the congregation and the community. A second campus, Redeemed Life, ministers a few miles away.

While Kelley inflicted great damage on the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, he did not kill it. Despite the horrendous tragedy almost exactly seven years ago, the congregation continues to have a robust ministry in their area.

God wants the church, not just a local congregation, but the global church to more than merely survive, he wants it to thrive. Consider Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” (NLT) As the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs illustrates, what could likely kill a church need not do so because Jesus promises God’s work will ultimately prevail.