Southern Baptists are responding to the tragedy in Sutherland Springs with offers of financial help as well as pastoral support.
The denomination's North American Mission Board (NAMB) has offered to cover funeral expenses for all shooting victims in coordination with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, according to The Message.
NAMB has also launched an appeal to restore the church building, which was badly damaged in the attack that saw 26 people killed and many others badly wounded, including many children.
Southern Baptist Convention president Steve Gaines and SBC executive committee president Frank Page visited the town yesterday to offer prayers and support. Gaines told Baptist Press: 'Our Southern Baptist family grieves with this beloved church and the community it serves. Our prayers are ascending steadily to God's throne of grace. May God bring healing and hope to these that are hurting.'
Page said: 'The First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, represents who we are as Southern Baptists — a conservative, multi-generational church led by a bi-vocational, godly pastor. [The church] reflects the core of who we are. I call Southern Baptist churches to pray for these dear people.'
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief chaplains have also been present in Sutherland Springs, only a month after they responded to the October 1 mass shooting in Las Vegas that left 58 people dead and around 500 others injured.
Terry Henderson, the state disaster relief director for Texas Baptist Men (TBM), knew one of the victims of the Sutherland Springs shooting, according to Baptist Press. He said members of TBM have invited chaplains to Sutherland Springs where they could use the Red Cross' Family Assistance Center as a base.
'Many have responded to the call and are at either the family centre or in the hospitals,' Henderson said. 'Many chaplains stayed at the family centre when names of the deceased were announced. We are grateful for chaplains from many organisations as they've been here to listen.'
Donations to support the families of victims have flooded into appeals launched on the GoFundMe giving website. However, the church asked givers to 'be cautious' of these appeals, saying: 'We're in the process of setting up the official GoFundMe account, and will be listing the campaigns we can verify sending funds to the families.'
