The wife of a Tennessee pastor who was shot in the mouth last month outside his church is appealing to the public for help, explaining his injuries require multiple surgeries and a long path to recovery.
“My husband, Reverend Clemmie Livingston Jr., was the victim of a violent crime,” Gwendoline Livingston wrote in a GoFundMe description. “On Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, he, the Pastor of New Zionfield Baptist Church, was shot down outside the front door of his church.”
Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!
As CBN News previously reported, the shocking moment came when Livingston, 70, reportedly attempted to stop two men from trying to steal a Sunday school teacher’s vehicle, WREG-TV reported.
The assailants reportedly shot the pastor while driving away from the scene.
“The victim was shot when he came out of the church as the suspects were stealing a 2019 silver Chevrolet Corvette,” a statement from the Memphis Police Department read. “As the suspects fled the scene in the stolen vehicle, they fired shots, striking the victim.”
Livingston, who preaches at New Zionfield Baptist Church, was in critical condition after the assault. Despite being listed in stable condition, Gwendoline said her husband is still in the ICU and is “awaiting at least two more surgeries approximately six weeks from now and then a third phase and possibly more depending on the outcome of his healing.”
The preacher faces what seems to be a truly uphill battle—one that has left the family needing financial assistance due to what she called a “senseless act of violence.”
“At this time, he is unable to eat or speak and communicates with us through notes and hand gestures,” she wrote. “Surgeons have drilled … and attached a brace to the right side of his face to try and hold the jaw closed, because the bullet shattered his jaw bone into many pebble size pieces.”
Gwendoline thanked people across America for praying for her husband and family and for acts of kindness. She said any donations will help pay for coming medical expenses.{eoa}
To read the full story, visit our content partners at CBN News.
Reprinted with permission from cbn.com. Copyright © 2024 The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. All rights reserved.
Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!
