YOAKUM (BP)—A plane crash in Lavaca County killed four members of Harvest Church in Germantown, Tenn., and left one person hospitalized.
Bill Garner, the church’s executive pastor, was among those killed. Lead pastor Kennon Vaughn was reported in stable condition in a Victoria hospital after surgery.
Tyler Springer, a native of Denton, also was among the fatalities. He is the eldest son of Brad Springer, executive director of Camp Copass.
A notice on the Camp Copass Facebook page requested prayer for Brad and Denise Springer.
“We are all mourning the loss of their oldest son. … While our hearts are heavy, we do not grieve like those who have no hope, because Tyler trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior.”
According to a statement Harvest Church posted on social media, other church members killed in the crash were Steve Tucker and Tyler Patterson.
According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Tucker was pilot of the fixed-wing, single-engine plane when it crashed around 11 a.m. on Jan. 17 about a mile from Yoakum Municipal Airport, about 40 miles north of Victoria.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Harvest Church, a Southern Baptist congregation, released a statement on social media saying the four individuals who were killed “were beloved members of Harvest Church, and their loss currently leaves us without the proper words to articulate our grief. … We ask for your prayers and kindly request that the families of all involved are given the proper space to grieve at this time.”
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Camp Copass provided an online platform where individuals can express condolences and offer words of comfort to the Springer family. To access the site, click here.
Compiled by Lonnie Wilkey, editor of the Baptist and Reflector in Tennessee, with additional reporting by Baptist Standard Managing Editor Ken Camp.
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