Texas Church shooting

[DancesWithWife]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/texas-sheriff-says-there-were-multiple-deaths-in-church-shooting-and-shooter-has-been-taken-down/ar-AAutfb6?ocid=spartandhp

 

 

Very small town outside of San Antonio.

[Old]

A sister from our congregation is visiting there this week. Good to know she wasn't at the First Baptist Chuch. 

[Bluebell]

At least 27 dead in Texas church shooting

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41880511  

 

[Tbs77]

Nearest Kingdom Hall appears to be 11 miles from crime scene.

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[Thomas Walker]

I wonder sometimes, what we'd do if something like that happened at one of our meetings. We count on God to protect us, but I wonder if that extends to things like this...

[Daniel244]

This is so wrong! Can anyone deny or close their eyes to the reality that we are living in the last days?.

[Whitley M]

At the Kingdom Hall I was visiting today a brother was literally sitting right in front/ beside of the door... I thought to myself how I appreciate that for so many reasons and when I got home I read about the shooting! My husband who doesn't go to the Kingdom Hall asked me about this as well.. he Said he thought it was selfless for brothers to watch and be vigilant like that. It would give others a chance if something like this happened at Kingdom Hall. So sad for those people today! End times indeed!  

[hatcheckgirl]

We are a bit like sitting ducks.  Security is stepped up in a lot of Kingdom Halls, with door shutting when the meeting starts.  Yes, Jehovah can protect us, but things have been allowed to happen too, like the bombing in a Sydney hall in the 1980's.

 

But anyone in an auditorium type setting is also vulnerable - cinemas, concerts etc.  As are the street malls, shopping areas, anywhere where cars can mow down people.  The evil multiplies until it will be impossible not to feel fearful in public places.  Can they deny things are different now?

[Omoyeme]

So true.  The BOE at my KH made a decision to lock the doors @ 7:30 p.m. right after an incident which I mentioned here.  Yes, we as JW's are a welcoming group but there needs to be balance in light of the perilous times we're living in.

Edited November 6, 2017 by Omoyeme

[Allabord4Jah]

At my hall they have a brother (strong and in his 30's) as our security brother.  But the door is unlocked.  Our sister congregation has two brothers in the back, 2 at the phone tie up with a screen where the camera's pick up people outside the front door  and we have one back door as well.  The back door has a secure lock on it and only Elders and Reg. Pioneers have the key or combination to open the door.  The front door needs a key to open the door.  The sister congregation locks their doors at 12:30pm on Sunday's and Tuesday is their ministry school, the doors get locked right at 7:30pm.   Like today's WT the part where the family from Bosnia was headed to Serbia to get baptized.  Two scriptures quoted in paragraphs Acts and Psalms.  Acts recounted how Paul and Silas  beaten and thrown out of city, they had no angelic intervention.  But then Ps 97 mention Jehovah looks after his loyal ones.  Some made the comment's that perhaps Jehovah sent an angel through the brothers who came back for them after those on the bus got to the convention.  Others said perhaps the soldiers maybe have had some compassion in them because these people were Bosian and going to a convention of harmless people like the Witnesses.  Either way, the family made it to the convention and they were baptized.  I hope they are still all alive and serving shoulder to shoulder with the friends in Bosnia and or Slovina.    There have been strange things happening before with our brothers/sisters in the concentration camps during WWII and in Russia, during the Stalin purges.   Jehovah hand is not short, but there are times when he may choose not to interfere.  But anyway, it was a wonderful WT.   But as for security, am afraid one strong brother is not enough.  Doors that are locked are good and camera's to see who's lurking away from the peep hole.  The camera see's the entire side of the building and driveway.   Something to think about since Satan is on a rampage now.   

[Tortuga]

Hows does a small community deal with a situation like this? I can't imagine anyone going back into that church again. I think that from a community standpoint, they should hold a mass memorial and then burn the church to the ground, then build a new place to worship together, preferably a KH...

 

[Precision]

The small community of Sutherland Springs could sure use some Comfort from the scriptures right now.

 I'm sure the local Brothers are doing their best to encourage those and their neighbors most affected by this heartbreaking, devastating tragedy. 

 

[sunshine]

Our doors (Paris, France) are locked with a security camera.  You have to buz to let the brother in. after the meeting has started.  It's a good incentive to be on time.  The other day I was late and the brother told me I wasn't standing directly in front of the camera and I should try to next time so he can see who it is.  

 

That said anyone that didn't look totally deranged could walk in before the meeting - the brothers at the door would of course speak to them but in the end there is only so much they can do.  Jehovah is our security and our hope, if He allows such a thing to happen in one of our halls then so be it.  The days are wicked and as an international brotherhood we will have to be ready to face anything before Jehovah says "That's enough!"  He will say "That's enough" day, we have to comfort ourselves with that.

[Allabord4Jah]

Good news, last night at my meeting, the brothers made an announcement, that starting this Sunday and any other service meetings, even in the field ministry meeting at hall for those groups.  The hall doors front and back will be locked.   They told the audience and those on the tie up phone, if you come late, you will have to knock on the door, there will be a brother back there to let you in.  YEAH!!!    

[Tortuga]

5 hours ago, Allabord4Jah said:

Good news, last night at my meeting, the brothers made an announcement, that starting this Sunday and any other service meetings, even in the field ministry meeting at hall for those groups.  The hall doors front and back will be locked.   They told the audience and those on the tie up phone, if you come late, you will have to knock on the door, there will be a brother back there to let you in.  YEAH!!!    

How does the brother determine who comes in and who doesn't? 

 

What does he do if he doesn't know the person? 

[Pjdriver]

1 hour ago, Tortuga said:

How does the brother determine who comes in and who doesn't? 

 

What does he do if he doesn't know the person? 

 

I think a brother posted has to be observant and able to use decernment. If you don't know him, does anything look suspicious? If He's not carrying any weapons, that are visible then likely he's not able to do a mass killing very easily as he might with assault rifle. Of course anyone could put a semi automatic hand gun in his back pocket, but short of frisking everyone, we can't really stop someone from hurting at lease one or maybe a few people. 

A brother might step outside and introduce himself to any stranger wanting in, and size up the situation. I think maybe 2 brothers at a time need to be posted. 

Another thing is training brothers how to respond to a given situation. This is the kind of world we live in.....we know it's going to happen again, it's just a question of when and where. No one thinks it's going to happen where they are, but We all have to be somewhat prepared.  

 

[Shawnster]

2 hours ago, Tortuga said:

How does the brother determine who comes in and who doesn't? 

 

What does he do if he doesn't know the person? 

Are they dressed for the meeting? Do the have literature or a tablet? 

 

Do they have a ? 

 

Plenty of ways we can recognize a brother or sister we don't know.  

 

I don't think about assailant would typically take the time to appear like a Witness in order to gain entry.  An assailant might brandish a gun upon finding the door locked. 

[Tortuga]

1 hour ago, Pjdriver said:

A brother might step outside and introduce himself to any stranger wanting in, and size up the situation.

 

We always have two brothers sitting by the door and if a stranger shows up they will tactfully take them outside to find out who they are. We aren't locking the doors yet...

[Tbs77]

We have two brothers walk the parking lot twice per meeting. No locked doors.

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[Allabord4Jah]

Remember the stories coming from Russia years ago, when some pretended to be a brother or sistre and they were from the KGB?  Some even as far as getting baptized and then the world fell on our true brothers.   Our sister congregations, which one is Korean, locks their doors for every meeting, our other sister congregation locks their doors too.  A few others in my state, lock their doors  as well   And a few have it where brothers do walk their parking lots and lock their doors.   We do have area camera's and we let them in once they knock.  There is a brother in the back at all times.    The point is, Br. Hurd in last month's broadcast advised all of us to be on time.  There are some exceptions for a few who can't be on time, the elders know who they are.   The brothers (when routating) get a list of names of family heads or sister's who come late due to their circumstances.   This is what the elder body chose to do for the sake of the sheep's lives, including their own families.  The C.O., didn't mind, he may even had asked the brothers to do so.  Because prior to him coming 2 weeks ago, the congregation never locked their doors.   

[nanceebgd46]

 It's hard to fathom how anyone could observe what is transpiring in this world, and

then think that Jehovah's day could be ...years...in the future......seriously, it simply

doesn't compute with the facts!

[Tortuga]

1 hour ago, nanceebgd46 said:

 It's hard to fathom how anyone could observe what is transpiring in this world, and

then think that Jehovah's day could be ...years...in the future......seriously, it simply

doesn't compute with the facts!

Agreed, however I remember the racial riots in the 60s, the free love movement and the antiwar protest and the friends that thought Armageddon was coming in 1975. Everyone thought we were in the last days then....and that was over 40 years ago. 

Edited November 11, 2017 by Tortuga

[Friends just call me Ross]

9 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

Agreed, however I remember the racial riots in the 60s, the free love movement and the antiwar protest and the friends that thought Armageddon was coming in 1975. Everyone thought we were in the last days then....and that was over 40 years ago. 

 

 

Good thing Jehovah has lovingly provided his Governing Body. 

[Patinage]

I really don’t remember since when the doors are locked at our KH, maybe a year or so, once the meeting is started. There are 3 congregations using the same KH and I am pretty sure the other two congregations do the same. I never thought about asking. 

If you go outside because you forgot something in the car, for example, you will need to ring the door to have it opened. A brother inside the KH will press a button after seeing you via a camera.

We are all grateful for this arrangement even though the KH is located in a small village (10,000 inh. roughly) where there’s not much going on. 

[trottigy]

2 hours ago, Tortuga said:

Agreed, however I remember the racial riots in the 60s, the free love movement and the antiwar protest and the friends that thought Armageddon was coming in 1975. Everyone thought we were in the last days then....and that was over 40 years ago. 

 

 

And Vietnam was coming to a close "peace and security", but nope - it wasn't then.