*A week after Zionfield Baptist Church Pastor Clemmie Livingston Jr. was shot at church by a car thief, his son, Rev. Keith Livingston, called the shooters “thugs.”
Livingston Jr. was shot in the mouth by carjackers as he prepared for morning service at his church in Memphis, Tennessee, The Christian Post reports.
“Now I’m sure by this time everyone knows that this [past] weekend [has] indeed been a trying week for our family. … It’s been a tumultuous week for all of us. It has honestly been one of the most challenging things that I can say that I’ve ever had to go through,” Rev. Keith said from his father’s pulpit on Sunday.
“I can honestly say through all … this struggle that’s going on in our life, with God’s help, we’ve been able to come through,” he added.
“I’m not gonna sit here and lie that I didn’t hit some low points. I’m not gonna sit here and lie that I didn’t shed some tears. I’m not gonna sit here and say I didn’t say some things that I normally wouldn’t have said. But you have to understand that I, too, am human,” Keith said. “I was afraid because it’s a hard pill to swallow. It’s a hard pill to swallow [watching] someone you consider your Superman get shot down by some random thugs’ kryptonite.”
Pastor Clemmie Livingston is battling bone cancer and is in treatment, according to his family. A report from the Memphis Police Department noted that he was shot on Feb. 25 while leaving church before the morning service began.
“The victim was shot when he came out of the church as the suspects were stealing a 2019 silver Chevrolet Corvette. As the suspects fled the scene in the stolen vehicle, they fired shots, striking the victim,” a statement from the police said, The Christian Post reports. “A second person who was outside the church at the time the car was stolen returned fire after the suspects shot first.”
Authorities currently lack any suspects.
The pastor’s wife, Gwendoline Livingston, launched a GoFundMe campaign that states, in part, “After undergoing surgery he was upgraded to stable and still remains in ICU. Even so, my husband will be awaiting at least two more surgeries approximately 6 weeks from now and then a 3rd phase and possibly more depending on the outçome of his healing. At this time he is unable to eat or speak and communicates with us through notes and hand gestures. Surgeons have drilled and nails and attached a brace to the right side of his face to try and hold the jaw closed because the bullet shatterd his jaw bone into many pebble size pieces. Were on a long journey to recovery.”
The family said all donations “will go toward the payment of medical expenses to come,” per the campaign.
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