LT. COL. DAVE GROSSMAN is hosting his own House of Worship Safety Conference.
WHAT IS THE RED CIRCLE ABOUT?
The photo is from a local newspaper the day after the tragedy. The picture is the church bulletin. Inside the red circle are bloodstains from one of the victims.
About the movie "Faith Under Fire"
The movie Faith Under Fire conveys several messages, one of which is the mark (the trauma) it leaves on those who are victimized by violence (as well as those who are witnesses to violence). Those who are victims of violence (or witnesses of it), often never recover. The terrible effect of violence is the hurt and pain it leaves among its victims. This is a motivating factor as to why we should take seriously the Role of the Protector (or as Col. Grossman would say: the Role of the Sheepdog).
Our goal as Protectors is to exert our best effort with the hope of preventing such pain and grief that comes with tragedy. IF YOU STOP SOMEONE FROM COMMITTING A VIOLENT CRIME, IT IS HIGHLY PROBABLE THAT YOU HAVE SAVED SOMEONE (THE POTENTIAL VICTIM) FROM A LIFETIME OF GRIEF AND SORROW.
Two of the witnesses of this tragedy suffered terribly for many years. One of them lost a sibling, and to this day (44 years later), he is still in therapy. The other one never recovered: Thirty-four years after the tragedy, he committed suicide (his story is told below).
If you're palnning on attending this conference, please try and watch the movie beforehand.
The Heroes
These two men are James "Red" McDaniel (left) and Kennth Truitt (right).
These men were sheepdogs.
McDaniel, a WW2 vetern, charged toward the gunman (his wife had been shot) and forced him out the door (knocking the door off of its hinges). The killer shot McDaniel to death once outside.
Truitt was right behind McDaniel. He confronted the killer outside and was also shot to death.
PHOTO - The front page of a local newspaper.
PHOTO - Front page of a local newspaper. Inside the red circle you can see the bloodstain from one of the victims.
A HEARTBREAKING ENDING ....
(PHOTO: Russell May with his grandmother)
RUSSELL MAY appears in the movie, and tells of his experience from that horrible day. Russell was seated near the front in the sanctuary when the gunman entered.
He was only 11-years old at the time of the tragedy, and it would have a devastating impact on his life for the next 30 years.
Five years after the tragedy, at age 16, he decided he would no longer attend church. Sadly, his life began to spiral downward. Jimmy Meeks met Russell in 2010 and began to minister to him - and even led him back to faith in Christ.
But the trauma from the tragedy, and other hurtful choices, was something from which he could not recover. In January of 2014, Russell committed suicide.
The movie's creator and producer, Sondra Hicks, spent several years working on the movie.
Jimmy Meeks (one of the speakers at this conference) was a production assistant to Sondra.
Photo: Jimmy kneeling by the memorial outside the church. Jimmy and his wife, Julie, were married at the church three years earlier.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
THIS WILL BE THE MOST UNIQUE CONFERENCE I HAVE EVER PARTICIPATED IN!
We will not only learn how to create a "Bulletproof House of Worship," but also how to create a Bulletproof LIFE.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY EMAIL LIST so I can keep you updated on the conference. I will send you an occasional email (not often, though) reminding you about the conference. I'll see you in April!
- Colonel Grossman