Announcements | Temple Baptist Church, Sullivan, MO

Daniel Schatz: A Pastor’s Perspective

Posted on Aug 12, 2010 in Announcements

On Thursday, August 5, 2010 I was notified that Daniel Schatz might have been the victim of a fatal car accident that involved two school buses from St. James and a semi-tractor. I immediately called Dave Schatz and he confirmed that the victim in the pickup was indeed his son Daniel. I later learned that a student from St. James (Jessica Brinker) had also been killed in the accident and a number of students had been seriously injured. I was stunned by this news and felt the helplessness that comes to us all in the face of such overwhelming loss.

As Pastor of Temple Baptist Church for over 23 years, I have become closely related to the Schatz family. While Dave’s wife Chara grew up in this church, Dave committed his life to Jesus in January of 1992 and I had the privilege of baptizing him into our church family. On March 21, 1992, Dave’s father (Neil Schatz) killed Dave’s mother, brother, sister, and two nephews before committing suicide. Those closest to Neil knew that he was depressed, but no one ever dreamed his depression was so severe. Walking with Dave and Chara through that tragedy galvanized our relationship in a way that nothing ever could. We witnessed the power of God manifested in our community and beyond to a degree that is rarely seen in the world today. Throughout the ordeal, Dave and Chara exemplified an unshakable faith that gave them healing and hope. Our church family reached out to the hurting community with the nurture and comfort that can only come by the inner working of the Holy Spirit and we were all given grace to praise God in spite of our pain.

Please don’t think for a moment that the months and years that followed did not involve a lot of pain and confusion. Faith is not a panacea for pain; it is the means by which believers process earthly pain in the light of eternal hope and God’s perspective through His grace. We grieve, but not as those without hope.