Pastor Ricky Sinclair Prays Over Charleston Church Massacre

BAKER, La. - June 19, 2015 - PRLog -- Before he allegedly opened fire on members of a Bible study group at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, Dylann Roof sat with them. He might have prayed with them.
A Snapchat video from Wednesday night at the historic African-American church shows Roof at a table with the small group. Nothing in the footage suggests the carnage to come.
Police say Roof shot and killed nine people inside the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, near the heart of Charleston's tourist district. Eight died at the scene; a ninth died at a hospital.
Authorities were shocked not only by the killings but that the violence occurred in a house of worship.
"People in prayer Wednesday evening. A ritual, a coming together, praying, worshiping God. An awful person to come in and shoot them is inexplicable," said Charleston Mayor Joe Riley.
Six women and three men were killed, including the church's politically active pastor, the Rev. Clementa Pinckney.
Sylvia Johnson, a cousin of Pinckney, said she heard about what happened inside the church from a survivor, a close friend.

Johnson told CNN her friend recounted the man coming into the church, asking for the minister.
"My cousin, being the nice, kind, welcoming person he is, he welcomed him to his congregation, welcomed him to the Bible study, and he sat there for an hour ... At the conclusion of the Bible study, they just heard just a ringing of a loud noise, and it was just awful from what I heard," Johnson said.
When the son of her friend pleaded with the shooter to stop, Johnson said the gunman replied: "'No, you've raped our women, and you are taking over the country ... I have to do what I have to do.' And he shot the young man."
Her friend pretended she was dead.
"But she watched her son fall and laid there. She laid there in his blood," Johnson said.
From what she heard, the gunman reloaded five times.
Before he left the church, he asked one of the elderly members whether he had shot her, and she said no.
"And he said good, because we need a survivor because I'm going to kill myself," Johnson told CNN.
A law enforcement official said witnesses told authorities the gunman stood up and said he was there "to shoot black people."
The president of the NAACP expressed his outrage at the violence.
"There is no greater coward than a criminal who enters a house of God and slaughters innocent people engaged in the study of scripture," Cornell William Brooks said.
The suspect
Roof, 21, of Lexington, South Carolina, was arrested Thursday morning about 245 miles (395 kilometers) away in Shelby, North Carolina. He waived extradition and arrived back in South Carolina late Thursday.

Police are searching for more information about Roof, and they are trying to determine whether he had any links to hate groups.
Authorities released a mug shot of him from Lexington County on Thursday. It was taken after a trespassing arrest in April. According to an arrest warrant from a February incident, Roof had an unlabeled pill bottle with a drug believed to be suboxone, which is used to treat opiate addiction. Roof told police a friend gave him drugs. The status of the cases is unclear.
The victims
Wooten told reporters that the victims all suffered gunshot wounds and died as a result of them.
Three people survived the shooting, including a woman who received a chilling message from the shooter.
"Her life was spared, and (she was) told, 'I'm not going to kill you, I'm going to spare you, so you can tell them what happened,' " Charleston NAACP President Dot Scott told CNN. She said she heard this from the victim's family members.
"The only reason someone would walk into a church and shoot people that were praying is hate," Charleston Mayor Riley said.
It was not clear if the gunman targeted any individual.
"We don't know if anybody was targeted other than the church itself," Charleston police Chief Greg Mullen said.
The church
Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church has been a presence in Charleston since 1816, when African-American members of Charleston's Methodist Episcopal Church formed their own congregation after a dispute over burial grounds. Known as "Mother Emanuel," it's been the headquarters for civil rights activity over the decades.
It was burned to the ground at one point but was rebuilt. Throughout its history, it overcame obstacle after obstacle -- destroyed by an earthquake, banned by the state. But its church members persevered, making it the largest African-American church in terms of seating space in Charleston today.

"Any death of this sort is a tragedy. Any shooting involving multiple victims is a tragedy. There is something particularly heartbreaking about death happening in a place in which we seek solace, we seek peace," said President Barack Obama.
To read the full story: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/18/us/charleston-south-carolin...


Pastor Ricky Sinclair Speaks Out on the Charleston Church Massacre

The Bible teaches us in Exodus 20:13, "Thou shall not kill." And in John 10:10, "the thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy." Therefore, I must speak to these people who do these things. The Bible clearly teaches us that those who operate in murder and hate are participating in works of darkness. This is a demonically influenced and does not represent God. The Bible teaches us in 1 John 4:8 that God is Love and in Him there is no darkness.

Bishop Ricky Sinclair prays that God's love will cover, protect, and keep all people who have been affected by this terrible tragedy in South Carolina. We release God's comfort, strength, and His mercy in your lives. Bishop Ricky Sinclair speaks to all people, "If we are going to move toward world peace, We must submit and commit our lives to the teachings of Jesus according to the Holy Bible. Bishop Ricky Sinclair recommends we turn to the only hope we have and that is Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior of the world.(John 3:16)

Ricky Sinclair (http://www.rickysinclair.com) is the bishop of Miracle Place Church (http://www.miracleplacechurch.org). A religious organization that provides a long list of services to the community, Miracle Place Church is cherished by its congregation and the many individuals whom they impact. Ricky Sinclair provides strong leadership to the members of the church, teaching them how to honor God and serve others while improving their relationships with Christ. Through his work, Ricky Sinclair has enhanced the lives of countless individuals, as he has assisted them in developing their spirituality and serving their Lord.