Pastor of Texas Church Where 26 Were Killed Shares Painful Yet Powerful Example of How God is Still Working

The pastor of the Texas church where a murderous gunman recently killed 26 people has revealed that nearly 30 people have reached out to him to proclaim that they have reconnected with their faith as a result of the horrific incident.

Pastor Frank Pomeroy of First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, teared up as he told NBC News that this has encouraged him to forge on in his pastoral work, despite losing many friends as well s his own 14-year-old daughter, Annabelle, in the carnage.

“Prior to this, I was fighting the battle to the best of my ability,” Pomeroy said of his work as a preacher. “But even more so now, that I know there’s 26 more martyrs that have laid down their lives for that battle and the Lord left me here, I feel, means that he wanted me to continue that fight for him in their names as well.”

He added, “[God] has a plan that I need to continue to carry out.”

Pomeroy also spoke about the tough reality of facing the holiday season as he and so many parishioners are emotionally suffering from what unfolded on Nov. 5, inside First Baptist Church. But, despite the pain, he said his own daughter would want him to forge on.

“It is hard to cope right now,” he said. “But I know Annabelle would have still wanted that Christmas music on. She would want the holidays to proceed — it was her favorite time of the year.”

In the end, Pomeroy, who sat down with NBC before Thanksgiving, said that he still planned to celebrate “this great country” during Thanksgiving and that he plans to also celebrate “the birth of the savior at Christmas.”

Watch the interview with Pastor Pomeroy below.