Faith Under Fire
"Their blood was not spilt in vain" Pastor Frank Pomeroy tells how his faith was actually strengthened after the mass shooting at his Texas church
The following programme tells the story of a mass shooting in a small church in Sutherland Springs Texas and how it affected the faith of the community and the church's pastor Frank Pomeroy. A warning, there are graphic and potentially upsetting references to the shooting throughout the programme.
As a gun man calmly walked into his church during its normal Sunday service and shot dead 26 of his parishioners, including his 14 year old daughter, Pastor Frank Pomeroy, was absent, miles away from his flock on a course to get a gun license, so he could teach teenagers how to handle firearms responsibly.
It was the worst mass shooting in the history of the state of Texas, and gun ownership is one of the most divisive issues in the USA.
Six months on, Pastor Frank talks of how this tragedy has affected his faith, and how the community have been able to keep going. He also tells Colm Flynn about how, as he stands in front of his flock to preach, he has his own concealed weapon while preaching, and how the Bible justifies both him and his congregation being armed.
Pastor Frank believes God was there on that fatal day, that the blood spilt was not in vain, but that God will use it to bring about a Christian Revival.
Photo: Memorial to the victims of First Baptist Church, Sutherland Springs, Texas/Credit: 大象传媒
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Armed at the altar
Duration: 01:21
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- Fri 11 May 2018 12:32GMT大象传媒 World Service except News Internet
- Sat 12 May 2018 01:32GMT大象传媒 World Service except News Internet
- Sat 12 May 2018 19:32GMT大象传媒 World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Sun 13 May 2018 08:32GMT大象传媒 World Service except News Internet
- Sun 13 May 2018 22:32GMT大象传媒 World Service except East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa
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Heart and Soul
Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.