MINNEAPOLIS — Richfield United Methodist Church is located about four blocks from Annunciation Catholic Church and School, where two children were killed and 21 others were wounded during a mass shooting at the church on Aug. 27. The Rev. Nate Melcher, pastor, led a grief support gathering for community members during worship on Sunday morning, Aug. 31.
The service was titled "From Shaken to Singing: Solidarity with Annunciation Church." Watch the church's YouTube video.
“Dealing with grief is a holistic process," said Melcher. "It will take people coming together in different ways.” He also said justice and action are needed as much as compassion. Licensed counselors are available in Richfield to guide conversations on trauma and coping.
Richfield UMC's motto on its website reads "Be part of a church that is growing in love of God and neighbor, reaching new people, and healing a broken world." The church invited members and neighbors to "come to pray, weigh grief and action, and light candles of solidarity and lament for our neighbors of the Annunciation Church community."
"I am sick over it," wrote Melcher to members on the church's Facebook page. He described Annunciation as "a longstanding beacon of faith and education," and recalled partnering with them in ecumenical Thanksgiving Eve worship services for many years before Covid pandemic.
He ends his lengthy Facebook pastoral message with these words:
We will do what Christian communities who trust God always do: we will walk with each other, we will work side by side. We will guard each one's dignity and save each's one's pride. And they'll know we are Christians by our love.
Read or hear more of Melcher's public comments in a Fox 9 story and video. Also hear or read about the response of several clergy in Minneapolis and how they planned to preach about the tragedy to their congregations last Sunday, following the shooting. Listen to NPR clip.
Content gathered from UM News and Richfield United Methodist Church's Facebook page.