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200 gather to mourn at boy’s funeral
Bishop says autistic child who died last week was victim of ‘ignorance’
Bishop J. Franklin Tompkins took the death of Terrance Cottrell Jr. hard, though he never once met the 8-year-old autistic boy and didn’t know his family.
For Tompkins, the loss of the boy a week ago was personal, a point that was clear over and over in his passionate eulogy Friday afternoon.
“God didn’t take this child, somebody took him,” Tompkins told the 200 or so family members, friends and strangers who came to pay their respects at Northwest Funeral Chapel.
“God gave and someone took him away through ignorance!”
The funeral came a week to the day after the boy’s death. Terrance suffocated during a two-hour prayer session at the Faith Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith. A minister of the church, Ray Hemphill, was charged earlier this week with felony child abuse for lying on the child’s chest during a session meant to expel demons, according to the criminal complaint.
Tompkins, whose own son, 12-year-old Reggie, is autistic, said he prays for his son frequently but will not allow an exorcism.
“I would never, ever allow anyone to try to deliver Reggie. If they try to deliver Reggie, get ready to deliver me first.”
As Tompkins, pastor of the United Apostolic Church of God, spoke, his words were met with enthusiastic responses from the mourners, who clapped, stood and yelled their affirmation.
“Don’t you know God knew Terrance was autistic? He made him like that. I trust that some safeguards can be set up to protect our families and children.”
“Amen!” came the reply.
Dozens of balloons in white and shades of blue flanked Terrance’s small blue casket. The boy was dressed in a gray-blue suit and a tie. The mourners, some of whom wore “Rest in Peace” T-shirts bearing Terrance’s picture, spoke fondly of him. They remembered the boy they called “Rock” as a playful and energetic child, a boy who could be, at times, just a little bit mischievous. He liked to swipe his cousin’s candy, one recalled.
“Rock wasn’t a bad kid. He just wanted to play all of the time. He will be in my heart forever,” said one of his cousins.
A former teacher called Terrance a treasure. “He was different. He was special. He was a jewel.”
“He was an exciting child,” said Rotunda Delane, who once lived in the same apartment complex as Terrance and his family. “He was very curious. I was shocked when I heard the news. His mother was trying to reach out because she needed help for him. We can’t hold any grudges. We have to pray for them.”
Tompkins echoed those sentiments.
“In the face of this, let’s not gather resentment and anger in our hearts. Let’s pray. Don’t hate anybody. Don’t try to execute vengeance. Instead of evil in your heart, pray,” Tompkins said.
During the service, mourners came forward to a microphone at the front of the chapel to talk about the loss and how they remembered Terrance. One young boy, about the same age as Terrance, stepped to the front and began to sing a familiar children’s hymn.
“Jesus loves me,
“This I know.
“For the Bible tells me so.”
And soon, the entire gathering joined him, finishing the song amid tears.
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