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President Young’s Statement on Tragedy in Orlando, Florida

Office of the President
Reverend Dr. Jerry Young
Statement on Tragedy in Orlando, Florida

In response to the many questions and comments surrounding this horrific act of terror and hatred perpetrated upon the 49 victims who lost their lives and the 53 persons who were injured in Orlando Florida on Sunday morning, as President of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., I am compelled to respond to this atrocity with a response rooted in the Word of our God and based on the premise that that which we seek to do in the context of this situation and indeed every situation that we face, is to find ways to express God’s love and extend the life of Christ. The hallmark of the Christian faith is love as stated in John 13:35: “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

According to the Biblical mandate, every person is made in the image of God. As Christians, we condemn, in the strongest sense of the word, the taking of a human life and we join in with millions across the world and of various faiths in condemning these senseless killings. We further express care, concern, compassion and love for the victims’ families and friends.

It is our prayer, as the officers and constituent body of the NBC, USA, Inc., that God will take this senseless act of violence and somehow allow good to emanate from it so that these persons’ deaths may prove, in the long run, to be redemptive, not in the cosmic sense, but in some way for the healing and restoration of this great nation.

We join countless others in prayer for the people of Orlando, Florida, the victims’ families and friends and ask that our All-loving, All-knowing, Ever-Present God, will use this incident to show Himself strong and sovereign!

Yours in the ministry and mission of Christ,

Dr. Jerry Young