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MANSFIELD — After thee homicides of close proximity in a matter of fifty-two hours, many local residents are left searching for answers. Several area pastors addressed this matter during their Sunday worship services.
“We corporately addressed the recent homicides for our Sunday services,” says Pastor Eric Byrom of Grace Fellowship. “Earlier on the night of the March for Prayer, we were not aware of what was happening as events were still unfolding. We had been praying about the local Opioid Crisis. Sometimes the LORD does not answer the way we would like.”
Grace Fellowship hosted one of those meetings the same evening as the first homicide that occurred at just several miles away
Previously the city experienced four consecutive years of declining violent crime, and last year crime was the lowest in ten years according to Mansfield Police Chief Ken Coontz.
(Photo courtesy of Frontlines Ohio)
“Mansfield is still Godsfield” says Reverend Paul Lintern of Southside Christian Church. “Evil gets a foothold when we treat it as a coincidence and not an act of spiritual warfare. GOD sees the bigger picture.”
Lintern has helped coordinate a community-wide prayer initiative called “March of Prayer” where ongoing prayer services have been hosted every night at different churches since March 1st.
One point of view that should not be taken for granted are the police, says Mansfield City Police Chaplain Mark Dettmer.
Mansfield Police Chaplain Mark Dettmer
“Our officers have to make split second decisions in the heat of the moment. We have to remember that behind that badge is a living and breathing person who has feelings and a family too.”
“Our officers have to make split second decisions in the heat of the moment. We have to remember that behind that badge is a living and breathing person who has feelings and a family too.”
(Photo courtesy of City of Mansfield)
Reverend Randy Raynes of Mansfield Fellowship Baptist said he has a parishioner who lived in the middle of the first two homicides.
“She knew the the ninety-year old that was stabbed to death-he was her neighbor (second homicide). And she also lived nearly six hundred feet apart from the first homicide. Murders happen all the time, but this is different. Our culture is conditioning society to live a godless life and to not be responsible. Society wants the benefits of holiness but promotes an unholy life.”
Russell Stanford of All Believers in Christ Church at 1650 South Main agrees with Raynes.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and GOD’s mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation-they will have no lack,” says Stanford. “GOD has made it explicitly clear in the Bible that untimely bloodshed, like abortion and murder sre wrong. Fortunately GOD gives us the power to make the right decisions in life. The responsibility falls on our shoulders-it is up to us to choose to obey His instructions.”
View the video below of a sermon given by Pastor Randy Raynes regarding the recent spree of violence in Mansfield.
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