Bishop Watson: My Heart is Aching ... We Live in Such a Broken World

6/18/2015

North Georgia United Methodists were somber as they awoke Thursday morning to news of a deadly shooting at Emanuel AME church in Charleston, SC.  

Members of the conference joined others across the nation and even around the world in prayer for their African Methodist Episcopal brothers and sisters and the Charleston community.

Before opening the morning session, Bishop Mike Watson asked for a moment to reflect and pray. 

"I just must tell you that my heart is aching this morning," he began. "We live in such a broken world. The world always needs Christ.  The world always needs the Church to be the Church and to share the good news of the Gospel in a very, very troubled world. But it does seem today this has been brought very close to us. This was at the Emanuel AME Church, a sister church in our Pan Methodist family."

Delegates asked that Bishop Watson express our shared grief in a letter to AME Bishop Richard Norris. (That letter is linked below) 

The Conference paused again at noon for a moment of silent prayer for Emanuel AME, the Charleston community, and the world.

The following resources and information may be helpful as you express sorrow with your congregation and community:

News