Posted on 03/29/2006 1:39:17 PM PST by Colonel Kangaroo
Minister Dan Winkler’s message to the congregation of the Huntingdon Church of Christ Sunday morning centered around such words as love, appreciation, forgiveness and kindness as he told how he and his family had coped with the tragic turn of events over the last few days.
This was the first Sunday service after the minister’s son, Brian Matthew Winkler, was slain in his parsonage home in Selmer, on March 21 and his wife, Mary Winkler, charged with first degree murder in the case. Matthew Winkler, the middle son of Dan and Diane Winkler, was minister of Fourth Street Church of Christ there.
Dan and Diane Winkler were vacationing in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg when news reached them of their son’s death.
The Winklers were able to obtain temporary custody of Matthew and Mary Winkler’s three young daughters through court proceedings Friday in Orange Beach, Alabama.
“His message touched all of us,” said Jennifer Butler, a member of the congregation. “It helped ease some of the pain that we’ve been feeling and showed us his great strength of faith.”
During the service, the minister spoke of his love for God, the church, the local congregation, fellow church members, his family and the town of Huntingdon as he further told of his appreciation for law enforcement officials and the news media for their assistance in helping locate those “three precious babies.”
“I can’t tell you want it meant to be met by friends we’ve known for 20 years,” said Winkler of their return home from vacation and Alabama.
This is the second close Winkler family member who has died over the last few months. Wendell Winkler, the father of Dan Winkler, died Oct. 23 of last year after a long battle with cancer. He served as a former head of the Bible Department at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala.
“I’m thankful for the Huntingdon Church of Christ and the town of Huntingdon” he said. “What wonderful support that Huntingdon will give these three babies.”
He mentioned the family’s closeness to the local congregation. “We love no one more than we love you,” he said.
Calls have come from all over the world and people have traveled hundreds of miles just to be with the family for 30 minutes to embrace them and weep with them, he told the congregation during the service that was broadcasted over WVHR-FM radio station in Huntingdon.
“I am thankful for the kindness of mankind,” he said.
On their return trip home with the three granddaughters, he said someone recognized them during one of their stops and paid for their meals.
“We were 13 hours on the road with those three babies who never complained,” he said.
The minister said there was much kindness shown them by the Selmer authorities, TBI, ADI and FBI as they worked with the case.
He expressed his thankfulness for the America media and the role they played in helping with the case.
“Sometimes they get a black eye,” he said. “But there’s something to be said about them. The media has been involved in our lives.”
There have been offers for him to appear on several morning shows and news networks.
The two questions most often asked, he said, are “Is there a spokesman for the family?” and “Is there a fund because the nation is wanting to help?” He recognized if it hadn’t been for the Amber Alert that was circulated through the media that “we might not be blessed with these precious babies today.”
He expressed thankfulness for family members, including his mother, brothers, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, his oldest and youngest sons and grandchildren.
“I look forward to being a daddy again,” he said as he mentioned raising his grandchildren and becoming involved in school activities.
He emphasized that he was thankful for his son who is no longer with the family.
“I know the kind of husband and father he was and what a man he truly was,” said the minister.
And lastly, he expressed thankfulness for his daughters-in-law.
Before the family left Alabama, he said each family member visited with Mary Winkler, embraced her and reaffirmed their love for her with a willingness to forgive.
How very true.
Thanks for the post. :)
Ping. Thought you might like to read this.
Ping! Very nice article about the Winklers.
I know a lot of people here are wont to speculate that the deceased was a child molester.
The more I read about this the more I think the perpetrator of the crime was just a hate-filled bitch who killed her husband in cold blood and deserves to die.
That is just speculation and it may well be that in some way "he deserved it." But until we know that he was a child molester I think we need to give equal time to the speculations that he isn't to blame; but that she is simply evil and had no reason to kill.
I have to say...her pictures give me the creeps. A little bit too much of an Andrea Yates look for me.
The world is thankfully getting to see the truth of that ("these are good people")in the face of so much ignorance and misinformation about the church of Christ. They are fine Christian examples. God bless them.
I am not familiar with that show (?) but I am guessing it is a tv talk or something?
At any rate, my question is simply: why are we assuming that he (ie, the dead guy on the floor with the holes in his back) drive her to murder?
Now if it had been the other way around, they would all be asking why such an awful man hadn't already been locked up.
Is there a presumption of guilt on the part of the man anytime a man is involved in a crime - even if his involvement is victim?
Is that where we are nowadays?
I guess this is just a logical extension of the NOW gang who thought that Andrea Yates was basically a freedom fighter, a rallying cry for all women....
Unfortunately what has really got me upset is the large number of freepers who go along with the idea that the preacher must be a child molester...after all, the underlying assumption being, it is just not thinkable that it is simply her evil that drove her to this wicked deed - not his.
It may turn out yet that she was justified. But I must say judging by the response of his obviously God-fearing family, I am starting to doubt that.
I agree. I'm in Middle TN and everyone is saying "he must have been doing something to those daughters" or "there must have been another woman."
I just think she's nuts.
I thot she had a Yates look, too. And I cannot stand 'he probably deserved it' -- innocent 'til proven guilty, no?
It is a left wing hag bitchfest of a talk show."
Oh, great...sorry I missed THAT one...shudder
FReepmail me if you wish to be added to or removed from this rarely-used list.
Thanks for the heads up, EmilyGeiger.
didn't know there was a cofC ping list. Please add me.
From: Ken Stegall
Subject: Church of Christ maligned on CNN
If you were watching CNN Headline News last night (3/27/06), you witnessed a vicious attack on the reputation of the Church of Christ on the "Nancy Grace" segment of the news.
Nancy Grace is a former prosecutor and current host of a CNN Headline News show every weeknight. Her topic for last night's segment was the shooting death of Matthew Winkler, the Church of Christ preacher in Selmer, TN. She interviewed and showed film clips from various people associated with this distressing event.
Included among her guests was a Baptist preacher, Tom Rukala, who maliciously maligned the Church of Christ... [I have attached a link below to the written transcript on CNN's website.]
I'm writing this to encourage you to email CNN and/or Nancy Grace to express your feelings regarding the unfair characterization of the Church of Christ portrayed by her guest, Tom Rukala.
I feel it is reasonable to request that she has an interview with a Church of Christ preacher/member who will have the opportunity to give a rebuttal to the false characterization presented on this program.
I personally feel that her program has many positive elements. She is a "victim's rights advocate" who insists that criminals should be prosecuted. Unfortunately, the individual she chose as her "special guest" to inform her audience about the Church of Christ was extremely prejudice. As a result, the listeners were blatently misinformed.
At the bottom of the attachment, I have included two sites designed for feedback; one for CNN, the other for Nancy Grace . . . Feel free to pass this email to those whom you feel may also wish to express their sentiments regarding this public defamation.
Send your email comments to CNN: CNN Feedback
Send your email comments to Nancy Grace: Nancy Grace Feedback
I've been missing my COC cohorts.
It appears that the TBI doesn't think he was abusing the children or wife and they are the investigating agency.
This is a quote from TBI spokesperson Jennifer Johnson when she appeared on Larry King Live:
JOHNSON: I think everything about this case is puzzling. I don't think there's any information that could come out that would really make sense of it all and I think that's really where the public is right now. They want some reasonable explanation for this and I think we all have to brace ourselves for the fact that it may never come. They never get a reasonable explanation or a satisfactory answer.
CALLER: I have a question. Could the motive have been that Mr. Winkler could have been abusing his wife or children in any way?
JOHNSON: A lot of people have asked that question and from the very moment that we came upon the scene we actually looked and there's no history of domestic violence. As I said earlier, we can't share the motive but I think, you know, the history does sort of speak for itself.
This looks like a tragedy, aided and abetted by "modern chemistry" and the medical profession.
Pray for all involved and condemn any who try to tarnish the victim of this murder in any way without absolute proof.
True Christians. They must be following what the Bible teaches. How often do we hear relgious leaders calling for revenge or claiming one must stand up for one's "rights"?
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