Bullet hole in wall discovered at First Church, Jackson

JACKSON, Miss. (Special) – A bullet apparently struck a wall of the preschool department at First Church, Jackson, over the weekend while the facility was unoccupied, according to a Feb. 6 e-mail to church members from Senior Pastor Chip Stevens.

“This morning, upon arrival at church, members of the Preschool Ministry became aware of a bullet hole in the wall of the lobby of the preschool area,” Stevens wrote. “Immediately, the area was secured, Jackson Police Department was contacted, and our Director of Security arrived in the preschool area… JPD arrived and gathered the evidence from the scene.

“We wanted you to know that the mark on the wall was not present at 3:00 p.m. on Friday when the facility was vacated for the weekend. Therefore, the projectile entered the facility sometime during the nights of Friday or Saturday or during the day on Saturday.

“At no time was the safety of our preschoolers or teachers compromised. No one was in the area when the projectile entered the facility, nor was our building occupied in any way.”

In describing the extensive security measures undertaken when the church is open, Stevens wrote, “We believe this incident was not an attack on our church, but rather a random mishap that we were the unfortunate recipients; however, it does prove that our diligence is not in vain.”

“We live in a time where many need the Gospel. Our city needs the Gospel. As Paul states in Galatians 6:9, ‘May we not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up!’”

Chip Stevens, pastor of First Church, Jackson

Stevens closed the e-mail by stating, “We live in a time where many need the Gospel. Our city needs the Gospel. As Paul states in Galatians 6:9, ‘May we not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up!’

“Let us shine even brighter as we endeavor to be the City on a Hill [Matt. 5:14-15].”