Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is hosting his own House of Worship Safety Conference.
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is hosting his own House of Worship Safety Conference.
On June 22, 1980 - in Daingerfield, Texas (130 miles east of Dallas) - an angry gunman walked into a church during the Sunday morning worship service. He shouted "This is War!" He shot 15 worshipers - killing 5. On this page you will learn about the movie that was made based on the tragedy at First Baptist Church of Daingerfield, Texas.
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.
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.
"FAITH UNDER FIRE" IS AN AWARD-WINNING MOVIE BASED ON THE MASSACRE AT A CHURCH IN EAST TEXAS in 1980.
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 also the 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 several 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.
VIDEO - The video is news coverage about the Daingerfield tragedy. It's an interview with Norman Crisp, who was pastor of the church at the time. The day of the tragedy - June 22, 1980 - was his first official Sunday. However, he was sick that day and was not able to attend church. He would soon receive a call informing him of the tragedy. The date of the news story (video) is 2023, done by a news station in east Texas.
Six months before the tragedy, when Pastor Crisp served at another church, he had preached a sermon entitled "This is War." Its theme was Spiritual Warfare. Oddly enough, when the killer entered the church, he shouted "This is War!" Pastor Crisp often wondered if the killer (who had been sexually abusing a relative for many years) was at the church that day - and had heard his sermon.
Though he was sick enough to be bedridden the day of the tragedy, when news reached him, he rose up, got dressed, and went in search of the wounded. Needing to make a phone call (no cell phones in those days), he pulled into a bar. Inside, he asked the bartender if he could use the phone. The patrons were quite loud, but when the bartender learned he was the pastor of the church where the tragedy had struck, he turned to the crowd and shouted, "Shut up everyone. This is the pastor of the church where the shooting occurred today."
A holy hush fell on the crowd.
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.
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.
“I’ve seen three movies that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up: Saving Private Ryan, American Sniper, and Faith Under Fire.”
"I have never been so moved by a documentary...The hope and healing it brings to the soul is amazing" - Rebecca
"Thank you for giving the world a film with such a heartfelt reward of healing." - Roxy
"Mrs. Hicks deserves every award available for her masterful production. I highly recommend this to all ages..." - Patsy
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.
Registration has only been open for a few days, and seats are quickly filling up. 13 states are represented so far!
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
CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS: If you need financial assistance, call 817.437.9693
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