Frank Pomeroy, pastor of First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas — the scene of Sunday’s deadly massacre that left 26 dead and scores of others injured — has announced that the house of worship will not reopen.
“There’s too many that do not want to go back in there” he said, according to The Wall Street Journal. “We will probably turn it into a memorial for a while. We’re playing it day by day right now.”
As to whether the building will eventually be torn down and rebuilt, Pomeroy said that the central focus right now is on the immediate needs in the church community: mainly, burying the dead and helping those who have been impacted.
“It’s too soon right now to tell,” he said. “I want to get through all the funerals before I do anything.”
But while the future of the building is uncertain, Pomeroy has no intentions of disbanding the church, as services will commence this Sunday at a community center nearby the church.
Pomeroy will also be burying his own 14-year-old daughter, Annabelle. Read more about the decision to hold services this upcoming Sunday here.
So many of the families will be forever scarred by this tragedy. GoFundMe has set up a special “hub” page for all the people you can donate to who are in need after the attack. You can visit that page HERE.
There’s one fund specifically designated to go to the church – you can access that one HERE.