Blacksburg Baptist Flies Flags for Victims
By Jared Turner jared.turner@roanoke.com 381-1643
Blacksburg Baptist Church sits only a block and a half from Virginia Tech. But last month’s shootings on campus hit close to home for another reason.
Victims Austin Cloyd, Caitlin Hammaren and Brian Bluhm were parishioners.
“We just want people who have been hurt by all of this to know that we as a church and as a town care,” said the Rev. Tommy McDearis, pastor at Blacksburg Baptist. “This wasn’t just a Virginia Tech wound. It’s a community wound, and we care about their hurts and their problems and we want them to know that we haven’t forgotten.”
On Friday, the church raised 32 flags on its North Main Street site to remember those who died April 16.
“It’s very fitting for us,” McDearis said. “… My team and I … ended up telling most of those families [from the church] that their loved ones had died. … It’s very fitting that we would be doing that.”
Each victim born in the United States is memorialized with an American flag and victims from other countries with the flag of their countries. The flags, which will fly through next Friday, were donated to Virginia Tech and given to the Blacksburg Police Department, where McDearis is a chaplain. Members of the police department asked McDearis if Blacksburg Baptist would display the flags. The pastor broached the concept with his deacons, who endorsed the idea.
“The town had no place to put it,” McDearis said. “They wanted a conspicuous place, and our church bought into that very quickly that we would like to honor these people as best we could. The only thing we did not want to do was put up American flags for people that were of other nationalities.”
Blacksburg Baptist enlisted help from the Cranwell International Center at Tech in finding foreign flags.
“We wanted to honor their nation and the people that had been wounded there as well,” McDearis said.
Today, Blacksburg will be bustling with thousands of visitors in town for graduation. The pastor believes the display couldn’t have been erected at a better time.
“We want to reach out to the families of the wounded and dead,” McDearis said. “We want to reach out to those who have come in just for graduation who are stressed and … are thankful that their kids are not wounded but still realize that the world is a vulnerable place. We want it to just be a sign of encouragement — the same kind of thing that was done by lots of people after 9/ 11.”
Jeremy Rasor, minister to youth and youth families at Blacksburg Baptist, echoed McDearis’ feelings.
“As the church, we’re doing our best to try to help the town and the community move through the processes right now. A couple of weeks ago we went from shock into the beginning stages of grief, and right now a lot of people are starting to get angry,” Rasor said. “We’re trying to help the town move through the process of their grieving and hoping that by honoring the victims at the request of the town, we can facilitate that.”
In religion
n Gospel singing. Today, 7 p.m., PACE Union Hall, Fairlawn. Featuring New Dawn and David and Diane Yopp. No charge. Refreshments and door prizes available. 382-1828.
n Gazebo raising. Today, Big Spring Baptist Church, Elliston. The money to fund the project is a memorial fund for David Hale, a member of the church who died in 2005. 580-4356.
n “Music Sunday.” Sunday, 8:45 and 11 a.m., St. Paul UMC, Christiansburg. The musical celebration will honor all mothers. Associate@stpaul vaumc.org.
n Concert. May 27, 6 p.m., Bible Baptist Church, Cambria. Featuring New Grace from Roanoke. 763-3296.
n Vacation Bible School. June 18-22, St. Paul UMC, Christiansburg. Featuring a hot-air balloon theme. Associate@stpaulvaumc.org.
n Community Bible study. Sundays, 6:30 p.m., New Mount Olive United Methodist Church, Russell Avenue, Radford. 639-6425.
n Baha’is of the New River Valley devotion and question-and- answer session on the Baha’i faith. Sundays, 6:30 p.m., Christ Episcopal Church, Blacksburg. 818-0611.
n Peaceknits: Charity knitting/crocheting. Third Mondays, 5 to 7 p.m., Good Shepherd Church of the Brethren, Blacksburg. Bring supplies. Yarn donations welcome. Patterns and ideas provided. For all skill levels. 961-0354.
n Book discussion group. Tuesdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Wellspring at Christiansburg Presbyterian Church. Focused on Corinne Ware’s book “St. Benedict on the Freeway — A Rule of Life for the 21st Century.” Free, but books must be purchased. 382-6510.
n Stretching Body and Spirit. Tuesdays, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Christiansburg Presbyterian Church, 107 W. Main St. A yoga class for Christians. Includes a gentle hatha yoga workout coupled with Christian chanting, prayer and meditation. 382-2802.
n Relationship Bible Study. Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m., St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, Blacksburg. Meal and wellness program, “Food for Soul.” 552-8782.
n Lutheran Student Movement. Tuesdays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Campus Center, Virginia Tech. Dinner and fellowship. 552-0066.
n Gospel singing and Bible study. First Tuesdays and every Thursday, 9:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m., Christiansburg Recreation Center, Christiansburg. Musicians, singers and bench warmers welcome. 382-8543.
n Bible study. Shepherd’s Chapel Bible students seek members to meet every other Wednesday at the Christiansburg Library Community Room. 381-4557.
n Meditation program. Wednesdays, 5:15 p.m., Blue Ridge School of Massage and Yoga, Blacksburg. Learn a simple, universal meditation practice for people of all faiths and beliefs. 552-2177 or meditate- shivabala.org.
n Faith discussion groups. Thursdays, 10 to 11 a.m.; Fridays, noon to 1 p.m., Luther Memorial Lutheran Church, Blacksburg. 951- 1000.
(c) 2007 Roanoke Times & World News. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.