One of the churches from the Conservative Grace Brethren Churches International Fellowship is undergoing a difficult time this Christmas–an opportunity for us to pray for a resolution. Here is an excerpt of an article from the Burlington (VT) Free Press. To read the entire article, click here.
“It’s disturbing, but we’re not fearful,” said the Rev. Scott Libby, pastor of The Grace Brethren Church of Irasburg, which was hit with 11 rounds Friday evening. “We’re praying for this individual. Whoever it is obviously needs some help.”
Someone pulled into the parking lot and fired at the entrance of Grace Brethren between 6:20 and 7 p.m. Friday when no one was in the church, which straddles the border of Coventry and Irasburg. A youth group that normally meets Friday evenings was singing carols at a nursing home when the shots were fired.
Two other evangelical churches in the area were targeted the previous weekend. Six shots from a .40-caliber pistol shattered the doors of The Assembly of God Church in Derby on Dec. 12 or early Dec. 13 and four shots were fired at Cornerstone Evangelical Church. Someone also fired at two homes in the area, and these incidents might be part of the same pattern, police say.
All three of the churches are evangelical Christian denominations. Libby said he did not know if that fact is significant to the investigation. “This person may have a problem with the Lord Jesus Christ and churches that proclaim him from the scripture,” he said. “It’s hard to know.”
Grace Brethren Church was built in 1978 and on Sundays attracts about 70 worshippers. Many members of the church came to help sweep up glass and shattered wood Saturday after they learned about the shooting. At Sunday services, Libby preached forgiveness straight from the Bible, telling his parishioners: “Jesus says love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
An additional story is available here.