Billy Graham Rapid Response Team Chaplains in Small Texas Town Following Church Massacre
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 6, 2017 /
Christian Newswire/ -- Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains are in the town of Sutherland Springs, Texas, following yesterday's horrifying and deadly shooting rampage during a Sunday morning service at First Baptist Church. The massacre claimed the lives of at least 26 people, with several more wounded.
"The evil at work in this tragedy is incomprehensible," said Jack Munday, international director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. "It's impossible to understand what could drive a young man to do something so inhumanly cruel. While we don't have all the answers, we will do everything we can to comfort the grieving and give peace to those in despair as we bring the hope of Jesus."
Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, shared, "My heart is heavy for the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas, who have lost more than 20 of their sons, daughters, husbands, wives, parents, and friends today in this senseless act of brutality. My prayers are with this community and church."
Even as the shooting developed in Texas on Sunday, Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains remained deployed in New York City following last week's terror attack which killed eight people on a bike path. Both efforts follow closely on the heels of the group's ministry in Las Vegas following the concert attack, which killed 58 people.
The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team continues to work in areas affected by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, which allowed for quick chaplain movement from the Gulf Coast to Sutherland Springs. They are also deployed in Florida following Hurricane Irma, and in Santa Rosa, Calif., in response to deadly wildfires.
About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team:
The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was developed by Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has since grown into an international network of chaplains in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia who are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. They have deployed to more than 270 disaster sites, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.
