LT. COL. DAVE GROSSMAN IS HOSTING HIS OWN SAFETY CONFERENCE FOR HOUSES OF WORSHIP
FAITH UNDER FIRE MOVIE
"FAITH UNDER FIRE" IS AN AWARD-WINNING MOVIE BASED ON THE MASSACRE AT A CHURCH IN EAST TEXAS.
On Sunday morning, June 22, 1980, an angry gunman entered the sanctuary of First Baptist Church in Daingerfield, Texas. He was armed with two rifles and two handguns. He was wearing two flak jackets and an army helmet.
He had 400 rounds of ammo on his person.
350 people were in the sanctuary. A sense of excitement was in the air. It was the first official Sunday for their new pastor.
As they sang the offertory hymn, the gunman entered through the main door and shouted "This is War!" He then opened fire on the crowd. Fifteen of the worshipers were shot; five were killed.
Faith Under Fire is a true story of God's presence in the midst of suffering. It is a story of a community’s struggle with betrayal, the shock to their faith, and the death of loved ones after a former schoolteacher opened fire during a church service in the summer of 1980.
It is also a tribute to four brave men that raced into the face of gunfire, saving the lives of hundreds of people. Thirty years after that tragic day, survivors share their journey to heal.
Ultimately, Faith Under Fire is a story of faith and hope leading a community out of the depths of despair to the path of forgiveness and restoration and ultimately peace.
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.
Photo: Jimmy kneeling by the memorial outside the church. Jimmy and his wife, Julie, were married at the church three years earlier.
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.
I'm praying that you will attend this conference!
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