Christian Post
There has been a recent cycle of pastor committing suicide. According to Christian Post, Pastor Ed Montgomery of Full gospel Christian Assemblies International church committed suicide. On Dec. 6, 2012 his wife died last year from inclusive brain aneurysm, and Montgomery had been dealing with mental issues which worsened.
“Devastated. Devastated. Devastated,” said Wilson when asked to explain how his approximately 2,000-member church had been coping in the aftermath of Pastor Ed Montgomery’s death. Montgomery had served at Full Gospel Christian Assemblies International church, along with his wife when she was alive, as marriage counselors among other ministries, according to the church’s website.
Official records of the incident acquired by The Christian Post from the Matteson Police Department under a Freedom of Information Act request on Friday, confirmed details of the heartbreaking circumstances under which Pastor Montgomery shockingly shot himself in the presence of his son in the family home as police and paramedics waited outside.
It also detailed his mental struggle since his wife died from an inconclusive brain aneurysm on Dec. 6 last year and how it worsened during the final two weeks leading up to his death on Saturday.
During a standoff with his family, Montgomery revealed that his pain was unbearable and he didn’t want to live.
According to the police report, he told family members that he had “not slept in over a month and can’t afford this.”
While holding the gun he used to shoot himself to his head, Montgomery said: “I can’t go on. I’m telling you I can’t go on. It will be the best. Do not call anyone. I don’t want to live. I don’t want to live without my wife. I don’t want this house.”
It also revealed how his mother had prayerfully reached out for help to deliver her son from his grief-stricken state to no avail.
Apostle Wilson explained that he was not aware of the depth of depression Montgomery had been experiencing because he didn’t show any signs of trouble when he saw him after his wife died.
“It was totally hidden from us. That was the furthest thing from our mind about him dealing with suicidal tendencies. Secondly, we didn’t know he was dealing with depression to that level because on the exterior, he gave the appearance that he was getting through it,” said Wilson.
Over time it also became difficult to know what was happening with him because he began spending a lot of time away from church and they tried to respect his privacy.
“He started missing church, then we thought that he just needed time to get it together. Nothing to suggest that he was contemplating the thought of suicide,” said Wilson.
Wilson, who said he will be delivering the eulogy at Pastor Montgomery’s funeral on Monday, estimated that he attended church once per month after his wife died until September, when he stopped attending completely.
Even then, explained Wilson, the church family continued reaching out to him but he refused to see anyone.
“The whole church family was reaching out to him. You have no idea how many people were reaching out to him,” he said.
“The church was there [for him]. We were bombarding him with text and calling but you can only do so much,” he said.
“Everybody in the church, even myself, we felt like we tried everything in my power to reach him but he didn’t want to be reached. He had to have psychological help.
“If we had gotten a call we would have demanded to see him. ‘Let me in the house’ but we weren’t informed. I’m not putting blame on anybody else but we’ve been here. The church has been here and tried to get into every communication line that we could but he closed down all communications,” said Wilson.
Amelia L. Reid, a board certified Christian Counselor located in Staten Island, N.Y., explained to CP on Friday that: “A lot of mental issues are private and personal and usually nobody knows the full extent of the stress.”
When it comes to the church and mental health issues she said “a lot of it is hidden because we are depending on faith.”
“We don’t realize that we need to reach out for mental healthcare. God’s people suffer in all sorts of ways just as the world does and we really need to reach out more for mental health help. That’s why I am a mental health counselor,” said Reid.
“We really need to reach out but you never know how deeply that person’s suffering is. You can’t really measure it. Even while you’re counseling someone, working with them, you still don’t know the depths of that person’s heart. It’s about what they share with you and what you can ascertain but there is so much that we don’t know,” she said.
Of course people deal with depression or issues of the nature and never did I state there will not be wilderness experience for anyone, some are very extreme and intense etc., but we know that God is able to get you through it even when it seems like you cannot. I have to say killing yourself is a sin according to the Bible. That is not to make light of the situation by any means, or not knowing any extra details or any extra issues surfacing around the pastor. I am not basing the fact that it is a sin to kill or murder on a person, but without any attachments it is still a sin. We go by the word regardless to E.Dewey others like him etc. who know how to slither and slide because preaching has become a game for them. He and others are hirelings looking for more publicity. Sure we are to console people in a time of sorrow, but not at the cost of making God’s word into a lie. God is not a man that he should lie, and he will get you through tough times. He is number one in our lives. You know there are going to be children and others dealing with something that seems unbelievable at times, and we do not want to send the wrong message. Yes, dealing with the loss of a love is hard, and it is something that God will get you through. Philippians 4:7 KJV And the God of peace, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
PASTOR SUICIDE SITUATION
According to CP and new sources, Pastor Ed Montgomery’s mother (the first person who had ever known in the earth ), was trying to stop him from taking his own life. According to his amazon book profile, Pastor Ed had a son and a daughter. The son was present during the suicide, and he was crying and begging his father to stop. These children do not have their dad. He did not want to live and the enemy will suggest things like that. God would rather us choose life. Committing suicide is not God’s will. That was not God’s will. Suicide is the selfish acts completed through the taking of ones own life. Although mental state, and it actually a spirit would suggest to take your life to be with someone. God don’t want anybody to be like that to get a gun and do that to yourself. Even looking at deceased victim who was his wife, and I’m sure his wife Jackie would have not wanted him take his own life. I am pretty sure she would have wanted him to stay and care for their son and daughter. He made it through almost more than likely one year thanking and praising God, and coming through he was able to get through a year later basically.
CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR
If people are trying to help you, and you turn them away are they obligated to intrude? No, not usually but he was emotionally destruct because of the death of his wife, although not showing any signs to them. There was not a mere cut off communication, but a cut of communication evidently because of his dealing with his wife and the church family whom he been apart for years were aware of his loss. I mean they had a picture of him and his deceased wife on the website listed as pastors for a whole year, and she is deceased. Now often when somebody die you should help them especially people would gather around and be of help because the individual may need help as it is a vulnerable time. In manner of the situation, the saints of his church especially should pray and console in such a time. Of course we are not to forget the loved ones near and dear, but to keep the picture up as pastor you contact on the site is something else http://fgcai.org/services.htm. They have pastors for counseling, funeral, reculturalization, new members, golden age. There about 16 pastors in one church?, never seen anything like it.
Word of the Lord
Pastor Ed Montgomery was to know, if his wife was saved she is in the joy of the Lord, she is at rest and should have taken comfort in it. The saints who are in the presence of the Lord would not even want to come back to experience this earth here. The presence of the Lord far surpasses it. 2 Corinthians 5:7-8 KJV(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. And God has a purpose, a plan/desire/ wish/thought for each and everyones life, and while chapters of somebody else life ends, and if God has you still here, yours still have to go on. Yes you may have more chapters to your life. God wants to give an expected end according to Jeremiah 29:11 KJV. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.Now to explain Ed Montgomery went into a panic, and sometimes in the lions den experience is when you really know God is there. Your faith may be tried even more in that situation, but the True and Living God can get you through it. I do not know why Montgomery had a gun, who gave it to him, or if he already had it, . This is a sad situation, but for those who are living we are ever to be reminded of Exodus 20:13 KJV Thou shalt not kill. Ecclesiastes 7:17 KJV Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? Now I don’t know why any close family would go around and reading what people are saying around the death of their loved one, but anyone usually grieving, emotional around the death situation is not reading what people are saying. Although I’m not saying they won’t, but is not typical in the upheaval of that situation. We don’t apologize for what the Word of God says. We pray for the family. God Bless!
1 responses to “Another pastor commits suicide”
Earlene Johnson
December 15th, 2013 at 21:36
Praise the Lord Readychurch,
Who has bewitched you that you obey not the truth. I am trying to figure out what types of bibles these pastor were reading or were they reading the bible at all. It could be that we get so relaxed that we feel as if we don’t need to do the things that we used to because of the time we are living in but we need to continue to watch, pray and stay alert We can’t stop reading the word of God in it we have a hiding place. We can’t stop
praying or reading the word of God(Kings James version or staying in good fellowship with the saints. We also have to keep pleading the Blood of Jesus Christ around us and our family members every day. The blood of Jesus will never loose it power. It was the blood that was put upon the door post so that when the spirit of death came it had to pass over. You have to apply the blood of Jesus from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet because the bible says when the enemy comes in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. Continue to pray for those pastors that are still standing for truth in these last and evil days. God Bless you ready church.
Sister Earlene Johnson