Ministry News

Decade Later, Wedgwood Still Significant

Details

Tuesday, 15 September 2009 10:23

On this day 10 years ago, American churches were forever changed. That's because although the horrific scene at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, may not have been the first church shooting in our country's history, it marked a significant shift in the way many congregations view their safety.

On Sept. 15, 1999, 47-year-old Larry Gene Ashbrook walked into Wedgwood during a See You at the Pole youth rally and unloaded more than 100 rounds of ammunition on a crowd of young worshippers, killing seven and wounding seven more before taking his own life. Wedgwood's congregation not only marked the anniversary this past Sunday with a series of services honoring those who lost their lives, it also displayed how they have chosen to forgive in remarkable fashion.

Among those remembering the tragedy was Aaron Ashbrook, the gunman's brother whom church leaders reached out to when news of the shootings broke. Associate pastor Mike Holton said that on the night of the killings he and senior pastor Al Meredith visited the Ashbrook family to console them and offer immediate forgiveness. "They were hurting and just as horrified by it as we were," Holton said.

Despite such stories of forgiveness, the string of church shootings in the last few years has confirmed to many what Wedgwood proved a decade ago—namely, that a church building is not necessarily a sanctuary. Many church leaders have since adopted safety precautions for their congregations to prevent or be prepared for similar violent attacks.

"Prior to the Wedgwood shooting, we did not have armed personnel on our grounds," said J. Don George, pastor of Calvary Church in nearby Irving. "[Now] we wouldn't have a regular meeting without uniformed, armed Irving police officers on the grounds."

Fellow Dallas-area pastor T.D. Jakes echoed a similar sentiment, saying that his church regularly employs both uniformed and "plainclothes" armed security. "There is a fine line that we seek to make sure that the average attendee doesn't experience anything less than a warm and wonderful reception while being ever watchful for those who would threaten that harmonious atmosphere," Jakes said. "Because we stress both safety and courtesy, I believe our members are comforted by that protection."

Many pastors continue to believe hiring such security shows a lack of faith in God's ability to protect. But Robert Cirtin, owner of church security consulting firm Safe at Church, argues this mindset goes against the wisdom God gave us. "I don't think we have the luxury any longer to rely on faith," he said. "I am a born-again Christian, so I understand faith in God and I understand that God can take care of us. But I also understand that God doesn't always take care of us and God gives us common sense so that we can take care of ourselves." [dallasnews.com, 9/12/09; star-telegram.com, 9/13/09]