In the latest string of suicides that appears to be plaguing spiritual leaders, George DB Antrim III (pictured), a beloved minister of God at Westwind Church in Waukee, IA, has apparently taken his own life, leaving behind his distraught wife and two children.
Brandon Barker, lead pastor of the church, had a very hard duty this Sunday as he tried to announce the apparent suicidal death to his congregation. Just five weeks earlier, Barker had told the congregation that in their first five years, there had not been one single death of a member of their church.
Although Antrim’s death by suicide has not yet been confirmed by the local medical examiner’s office, Brandon tearfully explained to his congregation that the well loved pastor and father of two had taken his own life.
Just five weeks ago, Barker had told his congregation that although there had yet to be a death of one of their members since the church was started, he knew that day would come and he was dreading that he would have to be the one to announce it to them.
Barker had gone on to tell his members that the first death among one of their members would affect the whole congregation and it would be with a heavy heart that he made the announcement. The pastor had never once suspected that the first time he would have to face the congregation with the bad news of a death would be that of one of his pastoral staff members — and in such tragic circumstances.
In his tearful message to his members, Barker told them how he had seen their beloved pastor Antrim, lying dead in front of him by the actions of his own hands. He continued that since that day, his life, that of Antrim’s family, and the congregation had been nothing but a whirlwind of questions as to why this had happened to them.
Antrim’s wife, Allison Sherwood Antrim, has had a lot of support from her friends, members of the congregation, and family on her Facebook page to try and ease her pain and suffering.
There is still no information as to why Antrim took his own life and left behind his wife and two young boys, William and Graham, but the congregation is determined to help them get through their grief and get back to living a life in the faith of Christ.
