"If there's one place that you should be safe . . .”
"If there's one place that you should be safe, it should be in your house of worship." This was the comment made by Sheriff Grady Judd in Polk County, Florida, as he began to unravel the murder of a wife by her husband who then went to their church and shot the pastor and assistant pastor in the middle of Sunday services.
"If there's one place that you should be safe, it should be in your house of worship."
This was the comment made by Sheriff Grady Judd in Polk County, Florida, as he began to unravel the murder of a wife by her husband who then went to their church and shot the pastor and assistant pastor in the middle of Sunday services.
The story is grimly familiar, but with a twist. The shooter, Jeremiah Fogle, murdered a previous wife in 1987 and never served time. His victim this time, Theresa Fogle, was his seventh wife and she was probably unaware of his history. He had accused her of infidelity which is not unusual for batterers to do and is often their justification for their violence.
Leaving his wife dead on the floor of their home, Fogle walked to the church where he had served in the past as a deacon and shot and critically wounded the two pastors. Fogle had had a falling out with the Senior Pastor, William Boss, six years earlier. Boss had asked him to step down as a deacon "because some women in the church complained about the way he hugged them."
Theresa Fogle’s sister was interviewed immediately following the shootings. The first thing she said through her tears was, “God says we have to forgive and forget. Who are we to judge? With God’s help, anything is possible.” Sadly the loss of her sister will be made more painful by this theology. Once again an understanding of church teaching becomes a roadblock rather than a resource in healing. In fact, the Bible doesn’t teach us to forgive and forget but to call one who has caused harm to account and to repentance. Hopefully this time the courts will judge and Jeremiah Fogle will no longer be able to harm another woman.
This is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This tragedy in Lakeland, Florida, is the same old, same old. An abuser takes his wife’s life and then takes his violence into the community, this time into the church, “the one place you should be safe.” This won’t be the only domestic violence homicide this month in the U.S. It is a stark reminder of the danger that domestic violence poses for family members and others. We certainly cannot assume that one is safe at home or in their place of worship.
We continue our work every month to ensure that both home and church are places of safety and sanctuary.
Rev. Dr. Marie M. Fortune
FaithTrust Institute
www.faithtrustinstitute.org
Lnacaster Seminary offers Special Chaple service for Survivors
Paz en Cristo, and please continue to write we need your prophetic voice,
Elizabeth