The recent church burnings familiar to what happened in Alabama several years ago has united the Tyler TX Christian community in prayer. Churches from multiple denominations came to Bergfeld Park to pray and show support to the Tyler community effected by these burnings. The reaction by many was one of anger, shock, and yet trust in God that somehow God will use this for His glory.

My friend Caleb was there taking pictures of the event for a friend. Sometime after taking the pictures an ATF agent approached him thinking he fit the profile of someone at the Church of Christ Scientist church fire. The ATF agent was mistaken but as any good ATF agent should do he was following every possible lead and profile match. It is actually quite impressive that the ATF agents were at the church fire prayer rally and it shows their zealousness in bringing an end to this violent destruction of Tyler churches.

Using the word violent to describe these crimes is not too strong of language. A church fire could easily kill someone especially in the likely event that the church is near an old house or has a parish attached to it. Someone could easily be killed living in or near a church. If there isn’t an operable fire alarm in the nearby house or church building these lunatics could kill someone in their sleep. How do you think you would feel if your vandalism caused a baby or innocent child to burn alive or die from smoke inhalation? Something tells me that maybe these criminals have not thought of some of the possibilities that could occur while burning buildings.

Thinking back about one recent fire involving in East Texas landmark building that wasn’t even a church it makes me wonder if there isn’t so much of a desire to burn churches as more of a desire to create attention. No one is sure if all of these fires are connected but the fact that not every recent suspicious fire was a church makes me wonder if the arsonists have continued along the path of church burnings because they like the attention that it receives? These are only my opinions on what might be the motive of these Tyler TX church fires and I am sure the authorities are exploring these ideas and many more as they receive leads.

The authorities investigating these crimes have said that many leads are beginning to trickle in and they are using these to hone in on possible suspects. They have not yet revealed if they believe it was the result of one or more people but over the next several weeks this will probably be revealed as the evidence is researched where it was sent in San Fransisco.

Authorities are now connecting a church fire in Corsicana TX back in 2009 with these recent burnings and looking for similarities. There is no ruling yet if the fire in 2009 was done by the same people but they are looking for any possible connection. The authorities still have not narrowed down a suspect but the community is on high alert in Tyler and there is not a day that does not go by that I do not fail to see many police and marshals on the roads.

An official tip line has been established that will be manned 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The Church Arson Hotline numbers are: 903-939-6169 or 903-939-6172  and don’t forget there is a $10,000 reward for evidence about who may have done the arson.