Protesters Gather Outside First Baptist Church In Hammond
Some photos from the ongoing protest outside First Baptist Church in Hammond.
The protesters are gathering Sunday at First Baptist Church in Hammond to shed light on decades of pervasive abuse. The scheduled peaceful protest organized by victims of the church and from the documentary “Let Us Prey” will be outside the church till 1 PM today. Over one hundred people are gathered as of 11:30 AM outside the main entrance.
“Our goal is to raise awareness not only among members of the church but throughout Hammond. We hope that our voices will be heard by the mayor, city council, and every Hammond resident,” April Avila said.
“We hope this one moment sparks a deeper conversation regarding the pressing issue of the statute of limitations in Indiana, which has also hindered justice for survivors.”
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”
A statement from First Baptist Church of Hammond on social media stated:
“It is important to first acknowledge that any statement we provide will never offer full healing for the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual harm that some have caused in the 136 years of our ministry. We want to be clear: we grieve and have remorse for any victim, we abhor abuse of any fashion, and we acknowledge the lifelong harm that abuse has on the lives of people. We are committed to providing a safe place for men, women, and children to worship our Lord Jesus Christ. Though we cannot speak with full knowledge of situations over the 13 decades of our church’s history, under the current leadership, we have taken every allegation seriously and will continue to report any allegation of abuse to the proper authorities. It is our firm belief that the church should be a place where people are loved and accepted and where victims are supported.”
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