Ministry News

Church Gunman Kills Pastor

Details

Tuesday, 10 March 2009 12:30

An Illinois pastor was killed Sunday morning when a gunman entered the church and opened fire during the first of three morning worship services. Fred Winters, pastor of First Baptist Church of Maryville, deflected the first of four bullets with his Bible, causing pages to fly "like confetti," witnesses said. After four shots, the attacker's .45-caliber handgun jammed, and he stabbed himself with a knife and injured two other church members when they tackled the man. One remains hospitalized, while the other has been treated and released.

None of the approximately 150 worshipers attending the 8 a.m. church service recognized the gunman, who police identified as 27-year-old Terry Joe Sedlacek from Troy, Ill. Currently hospitalized and in police custody, Sedlacek suffered from Lyme disease, which family members said had led to him developing mental illness. On Monday, police discovered Sedlacek's day planner, in which Sunday was listed as "death day."

Winters, 45, became senior pastor of First Baptist Church in 1987. Since then the suburban St. Louis church has grown from 32 members to more than 1,200. Winters was also an adjunct professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a past president of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Winters is survived by his wife, Cindy, and their two daughters.

The Baptist association's current executive director, Nate Adams, said Winters was "a wonderful, gifted, leading pastor in Illinois, and a dear friend.

"Our great God is not surprised by this, or anything. That He allows evil and free will to have their way in tragedies like this is a mystery in many ways," Adams said in a statement Sunday. "But we know we can trust Him no matter what, and draw close to Him in any circumstances. Let's draw closer to Him and to one another during this terrible tragedy, and renew our faith and obedience to His purposes for however many days we have remaining to serve Him." [AP, 3/8/09; foxnews.com, 3/8/09; stltoday.com, 3/9/09]