Five days after a young man entered a Charleston, S.C. church and allegedly gunned down nine people at a Bible study class, the Mathews community came together in an attempt to make sense of this tragedy, comfort one another and offer prayers to the family and friends of those who lost their lives.

“Pray for Charleston: Mathews, A Community of Prayer, Healing, Heart and Soul” was held on Monday at the Mathews High School football field with approximately 150-200 people filling the stadium stands on this warm summer’s evening. Several local clergy members addressed the crowd in the hour-long program organized by Edith Turner.

Patrick Billups, lead pastor of the county’s newest house of worship, Relevant Church, said that he and many others are filled with the “what-ifs” of that tragic day in Charleston and questions about what happened and why. While some of those questions will likely remain unanswered, there is one truth that has emerged.

“...