The Light Shines On

On September 15, 1999, a lone gunman entered a church youth rally, shot dozens of rounds of ammunition, and killed seven people before shooting himself. This book is the official record of the tragedies and victories of that night and the days that followed. The story was originally told in the book, "Night of Tragedy, Dawning of Light," by Dan R. Crawford. This book is a 20-year followup with those who experienced that event. "Grieving saints who praise God in the darkness bring absolute frustration to the Prince of that Darkness and great glory to our Lord and Savior, King Jesus." Dr. Al Meredith, Former Senior Pastor, Wedgwood Baptist Church. "Looking back, has there been pain? A tremendous amount, Yes. Has it been easy? Absolutely not. Would we have chosen a different path given the choice? Selfishly, yes. Do we expect to ever fully understand why God allowed so many young lives to be cut short that evening? Painfully, no. Do we question God’s goodness and perfect plan for our lives and the life of our daughter? Not a chance! The Bible tells us His grace has been and will always be sufficient. That has proved true in our lives." Stan, Stephanie and Tim Jones, Father, Mother and Brother of Kim Jones, who was killed in the shooting. "Inspired by my friendship with Cassie (who was killed in the shooting), I was led to be a counselor and serve others. I majored in Psychology . . . obtained my Master’s in Counseling . . . and my doctorate in Counselor Education. I currently teach at Georgia Southern University and attribute my passion for helping others to Cassie." Dr. Kristen Dickens "The years following the shooting, I found myself learning how to live my new "normal" life. . . After years of grieving, feeling disconnected, and questioning my life’s direction, the Lord led me to some amazing people, to two wonderful churches, and to opportunities to share the answer to ‘where is God in all of this’." Mary Beth Talley, injured in the shooting "I am grateful that the ‘God of all comfort’ gave me grace to trust more than to try. A friend told me always to repeat, ‘God, I trust you.’ Those four words got me through bone aching grief. I can always trust that the Redeemer will finally overcome all the terrible blows of the wicked one". Kathy Jo Brown Rogers, wife of Shawn Brown who was killed in the shooting "That tragic night will forever be a part of the history of Wedgwood Baptist Church. We will never, nor should we ever, forget what happened. However, as a church we know that past events cannot completely define us. No person, no church, is the sum total of one event, good or bad. And so, as a church we continue to look ahead, remembering our past, but moving forward with the bright future we believe God has for this church." Dale Braswell, Lead Pastor, Wedgwood Baptist Church.