Butler, PA (BRN) – In recognition that the nation needs prayer and that his neighbors may be in distress in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Trump, Pastor John Barkley of Hillcrest Baptist Church invited disaster relief chaplains, pastors, and others to join his church members in prayer-walking the surrounding Butler community on Sunday, July 14.
The church is located five miles from the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was holding a political rally and 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a nearby rooftop, grazing the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s ear, killing an attendee, and injuring others. Secret Service agents killed the suspect at the scene after the shooting.
Around 25 Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) chaplains and volunteers from Pennsylvania and West Virginia responded to the call, which came together in a few short hours the night before, and deployed to pray for residents, many they learned knew people who had been at the political rally. They also invited residents to a “Prayer for the Nation” prayer rally, to be held on Wednesday, July 17, at Hillcrest, “the church on the hill.”
After the outreach, teams gathered back to the church and shared about their experiences. Several shared about residents who were “shook up,” others were unaffected, and many were appreciative of the team extending their compassion and prayers. One neighbor shared her appreciation “for checking on the neighbors.”
Mark Harris, a SBDR chaplain from West Virginia, said he met a resident who was an “invited guest” to Trump’s rally stage but the stage was too full, and he was unable to sit with the former president. His nephew did make it to stage, behind Trump, he said, and is seen on video standing up to see what was happening on several occasions.
Others shared that several people who answered the door were surprised the volunteers were not trying to sell them anything but instead were just checking on them and offering support. The teams spoke to Buddhists, Catholics, Greek Orthodox and Christian Missionary Alliance adherents. In addition to the prayer rally invitation, which was very helpful in connecting the outreach to Hillcrest, residents were given copies of the Gospel of John and the Book of Romans.
Before launching into the neighborhoods, Phil Huggins, a licensed counselor and pastor of First Baptist Church of Rochester, Pa., shared about a teenager he personally knew who sat near the firefighter who was killed at the rally. The teen, who texted him at 2 a.m., was very traumatized, Huggins said, noting, “We have moved from a political battle to a spiritual battle.”
Kenton Hunt, SBDR director for Pennsylvania/South Jersey, noted the beauty of the Kingdom collaboration. Even with a short response time, there were nine to ten churches represented among the volunteers, he said. He encouraged the church to continue reaching out to their neighbors, who seemed to be open to the Gospel.
Pastor Barkley was very encouraged by the response. He told the assembled volunteers, “We can’t tell you how much we appreciate you guys coming. We could have never had that immediate of a response … But you guys going with us certainly encouraged us and showed us the way. It’s a great example.”
In closing, asking God to “continue the conversation” with those whom the team connected, he prayed, “The canvas that was painted yesterday was a dark and grievous one… You’ve given us the opportunity to share the Good News, not so much in Scripture, but in actions, love, and compassion, and care.”
At the conclusion of the outreach, Barry Whitworth, executive director for the Baptist Resource Network of Pennsylvania/South Jersey, also offered a prayer of gratitude for all the volunteers and that God would bless the effort for His glory and bring people to faith. He marveled at how quickly volunteers mobilized and how committed they were to reaching the community.
Barkley added, “If nothing else, the love and care of Jesus was shown today. I think that’s the most important thing. The results are left up to him.”
On July 17, five days after the attempted assassination, Hillcrest Baptist Church held a special gathering for its community, opening its doors to all who desired prayer or just a listening ear.
“This isn’t a Southern Baptist thing, a BRN thing…this is a neighbor checking on a neighbor,” said Barkley.
Barkley shared that many attended who had never been before and that he felt as though the service was a “win.” Hillcrest connected with roughly 50 people from their community.
At the top of his follow up plans is his 1928 Ford Model A Huckster. Barkley hopes to load up the truck with produce and strengthen these newly established relationships one piece of produce and one conversation at a time.
“We’re going to follow that up in that non-threatening way, just ‘hey we were thinking about you since you were there and here’s some produce’… just trying to capitalize on being a good neighbor because that’s what Jesus would do.”
