Zion Presbyterian in Columbia prays, grieves loss of victims in Covenant shooting
Members of Zion Presbyterian Church in Columbia held a prayer service Monday alongside many churches across Nashville and the nation, following an afternoon shooting at the elementary school at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville that left six victims dead as well as the suspect.
Senior Pastor Paul Joiner, who spoke slowly, deliberately and somberly, said many of the Zion parishioners were close to fellow congregants at Covenant Presbyterian Church "up the road." The Zion community, mirroring the Covenant community, also houses a school, Zion Christian Academy, serving over 520 students in grades Pre-K-12.
“This one hits close to home,” Joiner said. “We have become aware of the reality that we spend most of our lives wanting to deny, that this world is not safe. Evil is very real. Evil people do evil things. For some of us, these are our friends.”
“The senior pastor lost a daughter today,” he said. “This is another PCA church school just up the road. This is a deep rupture in our lives.”
Over 75 congregants of all ages gathered to say prayers and sing a closing hymn for the children, parents, students and school community during the special night service. Associate pastors at the podium and congregants from the pews took turns offering spontaneous heartfelt prayers, many to uplift, comfort and express sorrow.
More:Covenant School community seeks prayer in wake of deadly mass shooting
More:Nashville school shooting: Seven fatally shot at Covenant School, including 28-year-old suspect
On Monday, an armed intruder forcibly entered The Covenant School on the Nashville Covenant Presbyterian Church campus, shooting and killing three nine-year old children and three adults, including the school’s headmaster, a janitor and a substitute teacher, Joiner said.
Lives lost include students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9, and headmaster Katherine Koonce, 60, Cynthia Peak, 61, and Mike Hill, 61, according to police.
The suspect, Audrey Hale, 28, was killed after a confrontation with police. The incident is still being investigated by the Metro Nashville Police and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Zion Christian Academy is a Christ-based, college preparatory school with an average class size of 19, attracting the highest population since its inception in 1979 with an increase of more than 100 new students over the last two years.
The rise in new students mirrors an increasing population among private schools in Maury County and across the country, stemming from parents’ desire for smaller classroom sizes, one-on-one attention and a break from previously stringent COVID-19 protocols in public schools to a focus on Classical education and better teacher retention.
More:'Rural dream': Families flock to private schools for smaller environment, Classical focus
“Pure evil has shattered our world. This is the kind of reality that shakes us to the core. There are a lot of things that should be coming up out of our hearts right now — grief, sorrow, anger and fear. They need to be voiced.”
Joiner leaned on Bible verses from Pslam140 during the vigil: "Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers; protect me from the violent, who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day," Joiner read.
At least seven churches around Nashville held prayer services Monday night to honor the victims and pray for the church community.
Covenant School released a statement late Monday night asking for privacy as law enforcement continues the investigation, according to The Tennessean.
"Our community is heartbroken," the emailed statement read. "We are grieving tremendous loss and are in shock coming out of the terror that shattered our school and church. We are focused on loving our students, our families, our faculty and staff and beginning the process of healing."
This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Zion Presbyterian in Columbia prays, grieves after Covenant shooting
