Pastor gunned down in pulpit

MARYVILLE, Ill. (ABP) — A past president of the Illinois Baptist State Association died March 8 when a gunman walked into his church and gunned him down during an early morning worship service.

Fred Winters, pastor of First Baptist Church of Maryville, Ill., died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. Witnesses said the bullet passed through his Bible, which he tried to use as a shield, before striking him.

After the .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol jammed while he attempted a second shot, the assailant reportedly pulled out a knife and began injuring himself. Several male church members subdued him, and two received non-life-threatening cuts that sent them to a local hospital. About 150 people were attending the 8:15 a.m. service, one of three worship services the 1,400-member church holds each weekend.

Fred Winters, pastor of First Baptist Church in Maryville, Ill., died after being gunned down in his pulpit March 8.

The gunman, who has not yet been identified, allegedly entered the 1,000-seat sanctuary in suburban St. Louis and walked toward the pulpit. He exchanged words with the pastor before revealing a weapon and shooting him. It was unclear if the two men knew each other, and a staff member who saw the man briefly said he did not recognize him.

Winters, who had been senior pastor of First Baptist Church since 1987, presided over the Illinois Baptist State Association meeting in 2007, its 100th anniversary year. Nate Adams, executive director of the state affiliate of the Southern Baptist Convention, released a statement. 

"Our great God is not surprised by this, or anything," Adams said. "That He allows evil and free will to have their way in tragedies like this is a mystery in many ways. But we know we can trust Him no matter what, and draw close to Him in any circumstances. Let's draw closer to Him and to one another during this terrible tragedy, and renew our faith and obedience to His purposes for however many days we have remaining to serve Him."

Mark Jones, the worship minister at Maryville First Baptist Church, told reporters gathered outside the church that the congregation sometimes used dramatic elements in worship, and the attack caught everyone off guard. He said quick response by church members probably saved other lives.

Jones said in an interview on local TV station KMOV he had no idea about the shooter's motives, but the church will carry on.

"Things will come our way in life, but what we need to tell the people is our foundation is the rock, which is Jesus Christ, and the Bible tells us about the life that we can have in him," he said. "We can go through challenging times. We can go through storms. And if we have that faith and the trust that will help us to have that internal peace."

Jones said the church would probably consider added security after the shooting, but "we think this is a one-time situation."

"We have seen attacks in our country," he said. "People cannot stop living their lives. People cannot be paralyzed with fear. We're going to continue to live our lives and we're going to live with a greater intentionality and purpose," he said.

"I know that our senior pastor would definitely want the church to continue to pursue with passion and intentionality exactly what has been pursued these last 20 years," Jones said.

Winters is survived by his wife of 21 years, Cindy, and two children.

A prayer service was scheduled the evening of March 8 at Metro Community Church in nearby Edwardsville, Ill.

Winters earned a master's degree in systematic theology and church history from Wheaton Graduate School in Wheaton, Ill., a master of divinity from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., and a doctorate from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He was an adjunct professor at Midwestern Seminary, according to the church website.

–Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.

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