Network Priest Ministers to Lexington Crash Victims’ Families
On Sunday morning, August 27, the Rev. David Brannen, of the Anglican Communion Network affliated St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Versailles, KY, received a call from a parishioner telling him that there had been a plane crash in Lexington ten miles away.
After tuning in to the radio to find out more about the crash, Brannen knew that he was being called to go to the airport to minister to the families of the victims, even though Aug. 27 was also the day of St. Andrew’s yearly picnic. He contacted his friend, the Rev. Stephen Abbott, who was in town as their guest preacher that day and the two headed out to the airport together.
“I saw how pastors responded to the tragedy on 9–11 and also to a crash that happened in Hopewell, PA when I lived there,” said Brannen, “I just knew that this time it was my turn to drop everything and just go.”
The two pastors checked in with the police at the airport where family and friends of the 50 passengers had begun to gather to await news of the condition of their loved ones. Fire and police chaplains were on the premises, but the officials welcomed the extra help. Brannen and Abbott began to pray with people, some of whom were hysterical, most in some state of shock.
“I don’t feel like I did that much. I prayed with several families, I waited with the group until the awful news came that 49 of the 50 passengers aboard had all died,” said Brannen, “The group gathering became so large that they moved us all over to a local hotel. I rode over with the police chaplain and Stephen went back to St. Andrew’s and took the whole service for me, allowing me to stay and minister to the people. Much of it was practicing the ministry of presence, just being there for comfort.”
A Catholic priest, Jewish rabbi and several Salvation Army officers arrived later to join those already providing pastoral care for those affected by the worst plane crash ever in Lexington. “My main impression as I looked around that group of grieving family members and friends was that every strata of society was represented,” said Brannen, “Death plays no favorites, you have to be ready to meet your Maker.”
Brannen joined his congregation later in the day at the farm where the parish cookout was being held. Brian McLaughlin, senior warden for St. Andrew’s, said, “I was really pleased to know that our priest thought, ‘I need to reprioritize – I need to be with these people right now, even though this is a special day for my own congregation.’ He made himself available to the people in need in the community and we fully supported him in his decision.”
Several of Brannen’s parishioners lost loved ones in the crash. “One parishioner lost three of his friends in the accident. Another college student’s friend’s dad died,” said Brannen, “My advice on how to respond to tragedies like this? Err on the side of making yourself available even if your congregation has to adjust to your absence. God provided for my church by having Stephen Abbott here, who is very pastoral and known to our congregation. I felt that my helping on site gave many people a sense of being able to respond themselves, vicariously through me, as part of our ministry to the community.”
Note: St. Andrew’s Anglican Church is part of the Anglican Communion Network’s International Conference under the oversight of Bishop Nathan Kyamanywa of the Diocese of Bunyoro-Kitara, Uganda.