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.
Clear representation of actual facts have never been Nancy's strong suit.
When I see things like this, I wonder about demons and how folks in the church of Christ deal with such. Hubby and I have studied this a bit, and I can't see that demons suddenly disappeared after the first century. So what does a Christian do to rid a loved one of a demon?
This is a question for anyone to answer, btw.
The church of Christ does not bestow titles upon their ministers. If you want to call him by a title, Mr. would be appropriate or Brother if he is your brother in Christ. Also, his slain son was named Matthew not Brian.
All we can do is pray and make use of medical science just as we would any other illness. Christ, his apostles, and the people that the apostles passed on the power to were able to heal and cast out demons, but there is no one left today that has that power.
I don't believe that. Jesus left us with instructions on how to deal with demons. We just have to have the faith to do it. The Spirit did not die with the Apostles.
Sign me up for that church of Christ list, too!
Sign me up for that church of Christ list, too!
I have to admit, I was one who thought he may have molested the girls. It's all too common these days with preachers, priests and teachers. The very people you think you can trust...go figure.
I didn't mean to imply that the Holy Spirit died with the apostles. I meant that the power of men to perform miracles such as healing and casting out demons by laying on hands died with the people the apostles passed that power to.
I'm assuming that when you said "gone off her meds" you meant she had "stopped taking" her prescribed meds? If so, I'm confused by your statement. If someone had stopped taking their prescribed medications, then how would "modern chemistry" have factored into the equation?
The power is with the Spirit. And the Spirit is only as dead as we make the Spirit. The power has never been with men.
The Spirit was passed by Jesus, who lives.
I found that confusing too, but I suppose meds could create some sort of dependency that would leave you much worse going off of them than you would have been without taking them in the first place. Still, I know at least one bipolar man (result of a brain injury) who is certainly helped by his meds.
I thot she had that 'mental' look.
Leanne Payne has a great ministry, conference for that very thing. Uses Holy Water and prayer, the Holy Spirit. See her website -- it's this June, Wheaton College. Very excellent orthodox teaching.
If she stopped taking her meds, the symptoms would come back, no?
Yet she is being mollycoddled and treated with kid gloves -- and got to leave jail and have a private visitation at 5AM yesterday morning at the funeral home, to say goodbye yet again to the man she is in jail accused of murdering, an act to which she has confessed! Go figure.
Elizabeth is one of "us." The *only* one on The View who is, but is, nevertheless. Gets all heck beaten out of her by the others, too.
And I'll follow up here with Nancy's show from last night with Dr. Rubel Shelly.
The transcript also has the preview of some highlights of the autopsy report by the Medical Examiner, another convo with Mary's defense attorney Farese, and another fine panel of Baptists and various/sundry other clergy talking about the c of C, which leads into the "grand finale" of Dr. Shelly in answer to the angry emails.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0603/29/ng.01.html
Three or four others who know or are related to the family have piped up on forums (not in MSM as yet) and have mentioned the bipolar disorder as being among her pre-existing complications, along with being treated for lupus, which can entail steroids, in the form of prednisone. Looks like the atty may go with PPD, however, although he changes his POV for every audience.
http://www.newschannel5.com/content/news/18272.asp
Postpartum Depression Possible Defense, Winkler’s Attorney Says
Posted: 3/29/2006 11:04:00 PM
Updated: 3/29/2006 11:53:29 PM
It's the question everyone is asking: What led a minister's wife to kill her husband?
Authorities said Mary Winkler not only confessed but also gave a motive for killing her husband Matthew.
That motive has yet to be made public, but her attorney Steve Farese is less hesitant to discuss one possible defense; postpartum depression.
"This is certainly one of the things we are looking into. Of course, she has a 1-year-old child, and we have certain information that lead us to believe that is something that needs to be investigated fully," said Steve Farese, Mary Winkler's attorney.
Winkler is back in the courtroom Thursday morning for a bond hearing. Meanwhile, the three children are with Matthews parents.
NewsChannel 5 Plus will carry the hearing Thursday live, starting at 9 a.m.
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