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Church shows how to forgive
A year after shooting, members have learned compassion, pastor says
Brookfield – Last year’s tragic rampage during a Living Church of God worship service has taught the congregation about compassion – including for gunman Terry Ratzmann, a pastor said Thursday in marking the anniversary of the Sheraton hotel massacre.
“Our brethren have learned from this that everyone does need community support,” Pastor Rand Millich said during a news conference at Brookfield Suites Hotel. “Our brethren have donated to help people in other tragedies, they have written letters of encouragement, because they know that is what they have needed.”
And even though a fellow church member caused death and suffering, Millich said the church would not “exclude those who have problems or difficulties.” The nature of the church is to “try to really help all people,” he said.
Millich said he has been in contact from time to time with Ratzmann’s family, and they, too, are struggling with what happened. Church members “absolutely” have forgiven Ratzmann, he said.
It will be one year on March 12 since Ratzmann, 44, of New Berlin, opened fire on the congregation without explanation. He killed pastor Randy Gregory, 51; his son James, 16; Bart Oliver, 15, of Waukesha; Gerald Miller, 44, of Erin; Gloria Critari, 55, of Cudahy; Richard Reeves, 58, of Cudahy; and Harold Diekmeier, 74, of Delafield.
Ratzmann wounded four others: Marjean Gregory, the pastor’s wife and mother of James; Critari’s granddaughter Lindsay Maughmer, then 10, of Cudahy; Angel Varichak, then 19, of Helenville; and Matthew Kaulbach, then 21, of Pewaukee.
It took only 60 seconds, with Ratzmann firing 22 shots and stopping once to reload his 9mm handgun. He killed himself with a shot to his head after a man at the worship service asked Ratzmann, “Why?”
Since then, church members have relied on their faith, each other and, in some cases, professional counselors to heal and cope. They are resilient and surviving, Millich said.
“Some are healing faster than others. But I will say they are doing remarkably well with God’s spirit.”
Millich said attendance at the church, averaging about 50 people each week, has not dropped off because of the shootings.
The church is still searching for a permanent location to hold services. It has held services at a number of hotels and community rooms throughout the area, officials said.
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It has not met at the Brookfield Sheraton since the shootings. Millich said he would “never say never” about returning there to hold services, although it would not be the first choice for obvious reasons.
The church also has had a new pastor, Darrell Lovelady, 44, for the last three months. Lovelady, who came from the Kansas City area, said he felt a calling to help the church members in their healing process.
He said he has been encouraged by the “heart of these individuals.”
Tom Geiger, who has been with the Living Church of God and its predecessor groups for 35 years, has written a 192-page book on Ratzmann and the shooting, called “Martyrdom in Milwaukee,” which he hopes to be able to sell at local bookstores as early as next week.
Ratzmann is not the martyr, Geiger said. The other seven who died are martyrs because they died while practicing their faith, he said. One was his nephew, Bart. Geiger’s son, Robert, 13, was sitting next to Bart and narrowly missed being shot.
The book offers photos and insight into Ratzmann’s personality, chronicles the day of the shootings and the funerals thereafter, and it suggests lessons to be learned.
Many fellow church members have been opposed to Geiger writing the book.
Douglas S. Winnail, the director of church administration, said Geiger has been asked to stay away from the church, but said it was not in retaliation for the book.
“It’s more personal reasons,” he said and would not elaborate. “But hopefully those things will be resolved,” and Geiger would be allowed to return, he said.
Geiger declined to discuss the separation.
Geiger said the shooting had placed stresses on church members’ families, contributing to one or two divorces in the last year. His own son has returned to a counselor recently and has been having horrible flashbacks.
He said he hoped his book would help everyone heal and move forward.
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