Members of the public continue to pay their respects and leave flowers outside the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina June 19, 2015, two days after a mass shooting left nine dead during a bible study at the church. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
When I heard about the horrific shooting which occurred last week in Charleston, SC, at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the hairs on my neck stood on end. While it is easy to ask God why He would allow such violence to occur, especially in a church, the heartwarming stories of forgiveness and community at the church illustrate God’s plan. Christians everywhere can band together and showcase that we will not let evil change us. We will not allow fear to dictate our actions or motives. Saint John will always be an open and available, loving and healing place of worship and community.
In the near future, we will have some specific details on new Crowd Management laws that have been put in place in Florida, and how we will make sure that every single person that enters our campus will be able to feel safe when they are here. Many groups that have larger activities will need to participate in our Crowd Management program, from the Knights of Columbus and Men’s Club, to the Ushers and Greeters and JOP. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.