ISLAMIC MILITANTS KILL FIVE IN CHURCH

On Sunday March 17 five people were killed when grenades were thrown into the Protestant International Church in Islamabad, Pakistan. The church building is next to the American Embassy and a congregation of 70 were listening to the sermon being preached by Griff Jones, the son of Hywel R. Jones who formerly worked for the Banner of Truth and is now the professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido. Griff had shrapnel in his leg, but was saved by the pulpit. His wife Amanda was not sitting in the part of the church where the family normally sit where the grenades actually exploded.. Griff works for an oil company in Islamabad. Neither of his daughters, Johanna and Lowri, were badly injured though Johanna was wounded in her elbow. All the worshippers were affected by glass and debris.

Griff Jones was preaching on forgiveness and restoration, "and we do forgive them," said Denis Sherbeck, who led the church's singing and prayers, "like Jesus hanging on the cross said, 'Forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing.' And they really don't know what they're doing."

Among the dead were a Pakistani, an Afghan, two Americans (Barbara Green and her daughter, Kristen Wormsley), and one person who remains unidentified due to the extent of his injuries. At least 40 worshipers were injured, but a German aid worker says "it's a miracle" there weren't more casualties. Police estimate between 10 and 12 grenades were thrown.

Another of the British injured was identified as Nick Parham who works for Tearfund. He ducked as he saw one of the men coming down an aisle a couple of feet away from him. "He had a belt on with a whole load of what looked like British Army smoke grenades. There were five or six explosions. The six-year-old son of an American called Sandy Jeff is struggling for life with severe head injuries at the intensive care unit of the city's Poly Clinic.