On April 18, 2020, Canada suffered a mass shooting. Here is an update from Rev. John Shearouse, pastor of Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church in Halifax, Canada.
We have two churches. Our main church (Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church in Halifax) is about 1 hour and 15 minutes from where the trouble began and about 25 minutes drive from where the killer was stopped.
We purchased a church building last year in Glenholme, NS for the purpose of outreach (where we have been holding services twice a month for the past year until Covid shut down our public meetings) which is only about five or ten minutes from where the killer began. This church was named “Erskine United Church” because there first minister was an Associate Presbyterian Minister who arrived in the summer of 1771 from Scotland to begin his labours as the minister of the congregation that built the current building in 1865. It later became a United Church or Canada congregation, but retained the name Erskine. When we purchased it in February 2019, we named is Erskine ARP Church.
Almost everyone that goes to the Erskine ARP Church (our daughter church plant in Glenholme) had friends or friends of friends that were victims.
One of the VONs (Victoria Order of Nurses– home care nurses) who was killed had looked after an elderly Scottish couple that attends the church. Their daughter’s two children were friends with the kids that were bereaved of their parents.
Rev. Lester Settle, an 89 year old who also faithfully attends the Erskine Church, said that Mr Wortman, the killer, went to a neighbor’s house just a couple houses up from him (a quarter mile in rural NS). This neighbor threatened Mr. Wortman with a shotgun when he banged on the door and Mr. Wortman quickly departed, leaving this neighbor and his wife alone.
This community is a very quiet and peaceful community with a small population. We have been praying for this area and are asking the Lord to use this affliction to turn the hearts of this region back to Him. It used to be a stronghold of faithful reformed churches, but sadly they are all gone now and the people are mainly apostate and indifferent about the gospel. Prayers for this community would be greatly appreciated. We have no doubt that our gracious Lord sent this affliction to awaken them and call them (through the word preached) to return to Him.