In a heartfelt appeal to his congregation, Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. from CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan, has urged members to embrace forgiveness following a harrowing event at the church. Just a week prior, 31-year-old Brian Browning attempted a mass shooting at the church, which was thwarted by a member of the church’s security team who fatally shot Browning.
Call to Forgive and Address Trauma
During his Sunday sermon, Pastor Kelly emphasized the importance of forgiveness, citing scripture: “The Bible says we wrestle not against flesh and blood but powers and principalities, wickedness in high places. That’s what we wrestle with. Satan tried to destroy us. Don’t be mad at Brian. Don’t harbor unforgiveness toward Brian,” Kelly stated. He continued, “We are called to forgive, and if he were alive right now, we would be forgiving him because that’s what God told us to do.”
Alongside the message of forgiveness, Kelly recognized the traumatic impact of the incident on the church community. He encouraged those affected to seek professional help if necessary, saying, “If you’ve talked to me between last Sunday and today, you’ve probably heard me say that you need to make sure that you talk to somebody about your trauma.”
Details of the Incident
According to a police report referenced by the Detroit Free Press, Browning was seen driving erratically before he parked near the church building. Dressed in camouflage and a tactical vest, he approached with an AR-15-style rifle and 500 rounds of ammunition, opening fire before being stopped by Richard Pryor, a deacon of the church.
Prior to the attack, Browning had engaged Pastor Kelly in a conversation about religion, even claiming to be a prophet. Recalling a past interaction, Kelly mentioned, “He kind of challenged me on some things in the Bible, and so we went back-and-forth about some scripture for a little bit.”
Browning had previously sought help at the church, where his mother had been baptized. Kelly shared, “He seemed to be genuine about needing some help… he just said, you know, ‘can you help me with some things?’ and I said sure.”
Processing the Aftermath
Pastor Kelly underscored the need for emotional healing, advising, “You may see someone else’s trauma very clearly, but we don’t clearly see our own. We need people to help us move through it and process the trauma that we have.” He assured his congregation, “You’re not a weak Christian if you go see a therapist because you got trauma. … What it means is you’re human.”
The pastor also acknowledged the ongoing impact of the event, stating, “We are forever changed by this incident, and we have to process through that. You can’t rush it, can’t go back to things just as normal like we always did.”
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
