Sutherland Springs pastor led National Day of Prayer service

Frank and Sherri Pomeroy helped lead yesterday’s National Day of Prayer service in Washington, DC. The service came just two days before the six-month anniversary of the shooting that took the lives of twenty-six members of Pastor Pomeroy’s church, the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas.

Among the members killed was Pomeroy’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Annabelle.

The church plans to hold a memorial tomorrow to honor the victims and survivors. The congregation will then transition into a groundbreaking ceremony for its new sanctuary. It will be built next to the old church, which currently and forever will serve as a memorial for their lost loved ones.

The new church will be built of stone, symbolizing the strength of the congregation and community.

Their church’s remarkable ministry to their grieving people is just one example of Christians acting as salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16). There were many others yesterday. Those who organized the National Day of Prayer expected some forty thousand events to mark the day across the country.

How much does religion contribute to our economy?

President Trump signed an executive order yesterday creating the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative. The order was signed in the Rose Garden, attended by his cabinet members and some two hundred religious representatives.

Previous administrations created similarly named offices to foster partnerships between religious organizations and the government. The Faith and Opportunity Initiative will provide policy recommendations on “more effective solutions to poverty” and inform the administration of “any failures of the executive branch to comply with religious liberty protections under law.”

Are you wondering whether religion offers tangible benefits worthy of such recognition?

A recent study by Georgetown University found that the faith sector contributes $1.2 trillion to the US economy. That’s more than the combined revenue of…