logo
Frisco church offers trauma seminar for members reeling from teen's fatal stabbing at track meet

Frisco church offers trauma seminar for members reeling from teen's fatal stabbing at track meet

CBS News09-04-2025
Before counselors for The Seeds of Hope brought their services to a couch on the stage of Hope Fellowship East, Lead Pastor John McKinzie spoke with CBS News Texas about the need for the trauma workshop and his membership.
A number of those impacted by the
recent murder of Austin Metcalf
attend his church, including the victim's family. In a large church, McKinzie said he didn't get to know the family personally.
Metcalf's funeral is on April 12, with a youth pastor who knew the teen better presiding at the service. Before the day before Palm Sunday for the Christian faith, McKinzie said members aren't dealing with the joy of the Easter season.
Below are excerpts from their conversation, edited for clarity.
CBS News Texas
: Why did you think you needed this?
McKinzie
:
There were so many involved
in this because [the stabbing] was at a track meet. I don't know how many kids were there, but a lot were there. The assistant athletic director, Chris, who goes to our church, was on the scene. Many teachers that I know in our church were on the scene, kids in our church who were on the scene, first responders in our church who were on the scene.
It's bigger than just our church or our families. It's
the whole community
that is trying to make sense of this. The Seeds of Hope counseling agency that's helping us, they just said, 'hey, would you like to do something?' And then we said, 'hey, how about a trauma workshop at our church?'
CBS News Texas
: So let's talk about navigation on Sunday. You ended service by saying what?
McKinzie
: I read a scripture from Psalm 34. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. And then I felt it was important as a church family, I can't speak for the whole community, but I certainly speak to our church. And I just felt like it was important to help us focus in the right direction.
Many times,
in a tragedy or a trauma
like this, we pull away from God because of questions like Why? Why me? Why this? This isn't fair. You know, normal, normal questions. And I just felt like it's so important for us to focus in and draw near to him in the scripture.
I also felt like social media is a great tool, but it can also be a thorn in the flesh because it's used in so many instances in a negative way, whether that's false information or reposting things that may or may not be true. And I just instructed the people as much as I can, I can't control sometimes, I wish I could, but just instructed, hey, let's be careful what we're posting.
There are two families here that are hurting, and we're praying for all involved. And if you know the details of something, hey, why don't we post? And if we feel the need to post – post Scripture – something positive to point us in the right direction rather than divide us with things that we don't really know the details of.
Of course, pray for the family,
the Metcalf family
for Jeff and Meghan and Hunter, who are obviously the closest and most affected by this, and then
the Anthony family
, Karmelo's family, and I don't know them either, but felt like was important to pray for him and for his family. This is a hard thing.
CBS News Texas
: You make it a point to pray for him.
McKinzie
: Well, you know, to the core of my being and to the core of our church's culture and mission. Every person matters to God. Everyone matters to God. And if they matter to God, they matter to me. They matter to us. And I'm praying for him daily, praying for his family, praying for my friends, the Metcalf family, praying for our students, praying for our community.
CBS News Texas
: What is the takeaway here?
McKinzie
: The first thing that comes to my mind is what the book of James says, that this life is a vapor. It's here today, and it's gone tomorrow. So, what can we do to make the most of the life that we have? We can choose to look at the challenges, whether that be financial, physical, relational, or even physical, as in anxiety or depression.
We can choose to look at that and focus on that, or we can choose to make the most of what we have and what we've been given. And so, the takeaway for me is: let's not waste time. And too, in our community with this particular tragedy, what can we do to come together rather than divide, whether that be racial, whether that be in faith denominations, whether that be in anger or whatever?
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Who is Robert Shinn, ‘TikTok cult' leader whose home was raided in federal sex-trafficking probe?
Who is Robert Shinn, ‘TikTok cult' leader whose home was raided in federal sex-trafficking probe?

New York Post

time21 hours ago

  • New York Post

Who is Robert Shinn, ‘TikTok cult' leader whose home was raided in federal sex-trafficking probe?

Investigators from at least four federal agencies raided a California home Friday linked to mysterious 'TikTok' cult Pastor Robert Shinn, the founder of a so-called talent agency that allegedly exploited amateur dancers with promises of TikTok stardom. A handful of people were led away from the home — located in Los Angeles' Tujunga neighborhood — in handcuffs, after FBI, IRS, US Postal Service and Labor Department agents swooped in on the residence. However, it was unclear if Shinn, 87, who has been likened to a cult leader, was among them. Advertisement So, who exactly is Shinn? In 1994, he founded the Shekinah Church, a Christian congregation recently profiled in Netflix's documentary series 'Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult' that initially served as a house of worship for Korean Americans in LA. Shinn also owns 7M Films and is associated with several other California businesses, including Shinn Entertainment Corp., IP Random Film, IHD Studio and Glory Bag Records. Advertisement 3 Pastor Robert Shinn has multiple companies and may be worth $15 million. KTLA 5 He shares ownership of the home that was raided Friday with multiple people. A self-proclaimed 'man of God,' Shinn is alleged to have lured dancers to sign with his talent agency, 7M Films. He allegedly assured them he could turn them into TikTok sensations. Instead, Shinn allegedly financially and physically manipulated and abused the dancers, encouraging some of them to disown their families. Advertisement Other dancers have accused Shinn of sexual assault. The church allegedly encouraged members to surrender their time and money in support of its mission to save one billion souls from damnation. 3 It was unclear if Shinn was arrested during Friday's raid. KTLA 5 The warrants served at the house Friday involved allegations of sex trafficking, money laundering, mail fraud, tax evasion and COVID-19-related fraud, according to the Los Angeles Times. Advertisement Still others were forced to join the Shekinah Church and later served as recruiters for 7M. Shinn, who is married to Hannah Shinn, has previously denied claims that the Shenikah Church and 7M are affiliated, TV Insider reported. The Canadian-born Shinn is estimated to be worth $15 million. One of his children, singer-songwriter Kloë Shinn, defected from the church in 2022 with her husband Daniel Joseph, according to Cosmo, which added that he also has two sons, Conrad and Isaiah. Her music has appeared on reality shows like 'Queer Eye' and 'The Real Housewives' as well as the movie 'Random Encounters,' a 2013 film starring Meghan Markle — that was produced by her father. 3 Women have accused Shinn of physical and sexual assault. KTLA 5 Several former dancers and ex-members of the Shekinah Church teamed up to sue Shinn in 2022. The lawsuit alleges exploitation and labor law violations by the church and Shinn, and remains active. In 2009, a woman named Lydia Chung sued Shinn, alleging he'd forced her to turn over $3.8 million in assets through 'undue influence, mind control, coercive persuasion, oppression and other intimidating tactics,' according to the lawsuit. Advertisement She also said the church made her work six days a week, but never paid her. A judge ultimately ruled against her. In 2011, Jung Hee Lee, a former Shekinah member, sued Shinn for allegedly forcing her to work full-time for only a $30 weekly stipend. She won that case, and Shinn was ordered to pay her the compensation she should've received. Shinn himself filed a defamation lawsuit against several former church members after they referred to the organization as a cult, according to CNN.

Former CEO of Christian nonprofit pleads guilty to possessing child pornography
Former CEO of Christian nonprofit pleads guilty to possessing child pornography

USA Today

timea day ago

  • USA Today

Former CEO of Christian nonprofit pleads guilty to possessing child pornography

The former CEO of My Faith Votes, a nonprofit that encourages "Christians in America to vote in every election," has pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual abuse images, months after his arrest. Jason Christopher Yates, 56, pleaded guilty to two of eight felony counts of possession of child pornography on Tuesday, July 22, in a district court in McLeod County, Minnesota, according to a plea petition obtained by USA TODAY. Yates was initially charged and arrested in October 2024, according to Minnesota state court records. My Faith Votes told Religion News Service that Yates served as its CEO until August 2024. 'In early August 2024, the My Faith Votes board of directors separated Jason Yates from My Faith Votes and board member Chris Sadler assumed the position of Acting CEO," the statement reads. "Over the last three months Chris has been working with the dedicated My Faith Votes team to encourage millions of Christians to vote, pray and think biblically about this election in America.' Yates became the CEO of My Faith Votes in 2015 during the nonprofit's inception, according to his Truth & Liberty Coalition bio. USA TODAY contacted My Faith Votes on Saturday, July 26, but has not received a response. The Tamburino Law Group, whose attorneys served as Yates' legal counsel in the case, told USA TODAY in an email, "We are not commenting on this matter." What did Jason Yates do? According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by USA TODAY, an individual gave the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension a hard drive that contained child sexual abuse images on July 31, 2024. The person told agents that they received the hard drive from a relative of Yates who "accidentally discovered it" inside a dresser in the former CEO's office in McLeod County, Minnesota, according to the affidavit. Yates' relative stumbled upon the child sex abuse images when they tried putting the hard drive in their computer for more storage, the affidavit reads. The hard drive contained more than 100 sexually explicit images of children, according to the document. When agents met with Yates on Sept. 13, 2024, he confirmed that the child sex abuse images on the hard drive did not belong to the relative who found them, the affidavit states. He also told the agents that he had a prior conviction for possessing child sex abuse images, but it had been expunged, the document continued. What is My Faith Votes? My Faith Votes describes itself as a "non-partisan movement" that motivates Christians in the U.S. to vote in elections, according to the Fort Worth, Texas-based nonprofit's website. "We desire to see an America where God is honored in the public square and biblical truth is advanced in our culture," My Faith Votes' website states. The nonprofit was founded in 2015 by Sealy Yates, an attorney who previously served on President Donald Trump's evangelical advisory board, according to Politico. He is also Jason Yates' uncle, according to Christian news site The Roys Report. Both are also literary agents representing Christian authors. While My Faith Votes claims to be "non-partisan," the nonprofit has backed several Republican officials and conservative views, including anti-abortion. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was My Faith Votes' honorary national chairman before becoming the U.S. Ambassador to Israel under Trump's administration, according to the nonprofit. Dr. Ben Carson was the founding honorary national chairman for the nonprofit before he became the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during Trump's first presidency. Jason Yates is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 29, according to Minnesota court records.

Two SoCal bishops respond to ICE raids, but in different ways
Two SoCal bishops respond to ICE raids, but in different ways

Los Angeles Times

timea day ago

  • Los Angeles Times

Two SoCal bishops respond to ICE raids, but in different ways

Two of Southern California's largest Roman Catholic dioceses have criticized the federal government over raids and roundups of undocumented immigrants over the last few weeks. The Los Angeles Archdiocese and San Bernardino Diocese have responded differently in tone and action. Yet both have asked the government to show restraint and empathy toward migrants. Here is a look at how Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez and Bishop Alberto Rojas of San Bernardino have responded to a historic moment that upended the lives of countless congregants in immigrant communities they serve. Combined, roughly 5 million people claim to be Catholics in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Diocese of San Bernardino, which includes Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. About 58% of people living in the United States who were born abroad consider themselves Christian, according to findings from the Pew Research Center released this year. Of those, 30% identified as Catholics, the largest share of any denomination. In the Los Angeles and Riverside metro areas, 28% of all Christians consider themselves Catholic, the highest of any denomination by several points, according to Pew. Rojas told his diocese of roughly 1 million parishioners on July 8 that they can stay home on Sundays to avoid Mass because of concerns over area federal immigration sweeps. Rojas wrote in the decree that many churchgoers have shared 'fears of attending Mass due to potential immigration enforcement action' and that 'such fear constitutes a grave inconvenience that may impede the spiritual good of the faithful.' The dispensation was announced after multiple people were arrested at or near diocese churches on June 20, including a man at Our Lady of Lourdes in Montclair, according to the National Catholic Register. ICE officials disputed any allegation of targeting churches. 'The accusation that ICE entered a church to make an arrest [is] FALSE,' wrote Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin in an email to The Times earlier this month. 'The illegal alien chose to pull into the church parking lot [and] officers then safely made the arrest.' Rojas wrote on Facebook that he respected and appreciated law enforcement's role in keeping 'communities safe from violent criminals,' but added that 'authorities are now seizing brothers and sisters indiscriminately, without respect for their right to due process and their dignity as children of God.' The Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced plans to bolster delivery of hot meals, groceries and prescription medicines to parishioners living in fear of deportation amid ongoing enforcement raids. Immigrants targeted by raids are 'good, hard-working men and women' who are 'making important contributions to our economy,' Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez said in a statement. 'Now they are afraid to go to work or be seen in public for fear that they will get arrested and be deported,' he said. Yannina Diaz, a spokesperson for the archdiocese, said she was unaware of any arrests made on Archdiocese of Los Angeles property. She also said Gomez was not considering issuing a dispensation for its congregants yet. In an open letter, Gomez wrote that he was 'deeply disturbed' by the detentions and called on the government to reform the immigration process. We'll continue to follow how the church reacts and adapts to the Trump administration's immigration policy. Crime, courts and policing Immigration policy and raids Los Angeles fires and rebuilding Educational policy Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team Jim Rainey, staff writerDiamy Wang, homepage internIzzy Nunes, audience internKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorAndrew J. Campa, reporterKarim Doumar, head of newsletters How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@ Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store