A popular Wisconsin church is speaking out just days after its beloved founding pastor, Bill Lenz, took his own life.
Christ the Rock Community Church in Menasha, Wisconsin, has been quite open about the sad event that unfolded on Dec. 4, with scores of people paying their respects to Lenz and expressing their shock over his tragic suicide.
But despite the unimaginable loss, leaders at the church are forging on with their mission to inspire lives with the gospel.
“Now with this happening, our convictions are even deeper that we’re going to continue to see the vision advance, the mission fulfilled and we are going to treat one another consistent with our values,” Curt Drexler, an executive pastor at the church, told WLUK-TV. “So I have no doubt in our mind that some of our best days are still yet to come.”
Drexler said that Lenz’s death has been painful for both him as well as congregants, as he has been friends with Lenz for the past three decades. He also expressed his shock over what unfolded.
“All of us who worked really close with him, who saw him daily on a regular basis, never saw this coming,” Drexler told WLUK. “The joy of his life was meeting people and particularly people who were in need, who were in crisis. That was his heart.”
https://www.facebook.com/christtherock/posts/1708877789130807
It was evident from the responses to Lenz’s death, too, that the late pastor had made an impact on so many lives. Some, in fact, posted on the church’s Facebook page that Lenz had either helped them through tough times or had actually helped save them.
“Wow! I almost forgot how to breathe!” one individual’s post read. “How could this be? Bill? How many times you encouraged me. I was so messed up and God used you to keep me going.”
Read more about Lenz’s tragic death here. The memorial service can be found below: