◆ SpookStack

A: stunned church struggles to understand why_ CHURcy i # Orr tA Cn eel congregation. ; His volce trembling, eyes tear- ing, Ray told more than 600 people that e church “must still reach out to anyone who needs help from Jesus. We believe there are forces at work in this community, We believe they are trying te destroy Mibmi because it is. such a great mission field — a& city of cast- ae ee Miter vay: BWR S Bi Me LS. Riverside, at 10775 SW 104th | St., is a large, modern church in @ ‘comfortable part of town, Dut its Members. are not fancy people. They do sot wear the latest fashions on a Sunday. They don’t hesitate to bold the hands of « stranger when they sing a bymn. Under a woaring roof, enclosed by warm wood paneling and « wplash of rich color in the stained glass behind the -choir, they stepped forward to esk their minister to. make sense of William Matix. “What was his motive?” a _ beavyset man asked Ray. “Why aid he come here?” “{ don't know what his motives were,” the pastor replied. “He came pretty regular and tried to date all our dogle girls. Within a couple: of months, he tried to marry three different ones.” AS services came to a close Sunday, a Channel 4 television crew burst fn, lights shining. Ray ordered them outside: “We're atill trylng to have a church here.” -. To many in the congregation, the presence of the crew heent that they hed been found gullty by association. They shook their heads over the a A enad manu membare’ af “Riverside Baptist are law exforce- Bent agents. Highway Patrol, Metro police, Drug Enforcement . Administration, Coast Guard and ® FSI — Indeed, two special agents _ mre deacons at Riverside. Twenty mies north, at the . church where Gpecisl Agent Ben- famin Grogap was @ parishioner, emotions eee aim ler —. shock me that could a slain ip Friday’s thoot-out, waz # regular Mgyre at the 10 am. Mass ~. ft Vigistion Catholic Church, “The only thing we can do is take every person at face value and then fee] great loss when something like this happens” 2 " . Dr. Emit Ray, Riverside pastor ree 18100 N. Miami Ave. , Sunday, pastor Brendan Dalto spoke of the agent's strong faith - and love for bis family. ; “We prayed for him. today, ‘the whole parish prayed,” the priest said. “I told them that he Hved bis Christian falth and that he was a good man. Afterward, the parish- joners said ft seemed very unjust and uafair that @ good man who gave ali his life to protecting others should be shot down this way.” . At Riverside, Ray sald his religion required that he not pass judgment on William Matix. © . The pastor recalled that Matix had come to see him several times t taik of his grief over the mursier “of his first wife in Columbus, Ghio. Gn Dec. 36, 1983, Patricie Matix was bound and gagged with adheelve tape, then stabbed 16 times tn the chest and neck. “t had long conversations with him over ble sense of loss for his wife and concern for big chiki,” Ray said. “He never shared with _ mE any ne te - “This kind tr tang bappens more often ‘Than “you'd - wish. Church fs a véry vulnerable insti- tution because this is #2 place where people come a’hurting. The only we cen Go le take every * person at face velue and then feel great focs when something ike thle happens.” Matix played on Riverside’s Friday night volleyball team for - @bgies. Ove aight last spring, veruide squad went to plsy the singles at Wayside Rapti: Church, 7701 SW qavanmsre