Senior Pastor Dr. Fred Winters was shot and killed at 8:15 a.m. this morning at the First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois. The 8:00 service, attended by 150 parishioners, was underway when an unidentified man walked up the center aisle, and exchanged words with the pastor before opening fire with a .45 caliber gun.
According to Illinois State Police director Larry Trent, Winters used his Bible to deflect three of the bullets. A fourth bullet hit him in the chest. The man then attacked the clergyman with a knife. He was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
According to a parishioner, the pastor’s Bible literally exploded, raining what looked like confetti all over the pulpit.
Two members of the congregation received injuries while wrestling the gunman to the ground. The assailant is hospitalized in serious condition – though it is unclear whether his wounds were self inflicted or a result of the altercation with parishioners.
Winters led a 1,000 member congregation at First Baptist for 22 years and was a former president of the Illinois Baptist State Association. He was also an adjunct professor at Midwestern Baptist Theology Seminary.
The above photo, from the First Baptist website, shows Winters, his wife Cindy and their two children.
A message posted on the website said: “In this day, when uncertainty seems to abound, creating an environment in which people are vulnerable in doing things they might not do otherwise, one thing is certain – we, as human beings need a foundation upon which we can live our lives.”
Another photo of Pastor Winters below.