Pastor Jarrid Wilson Loses His Life to Suicide | Ambo TV
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Pastor Jarrid Wilson Loses His Life to Suicide

by | 1:34 pm, September 11th, 2019


Yesterday Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship in California shared the shocking and tragic news that associate pastor and writer Jarrid Wilson lost his life to suicide. Wilson, who was only 30, left behind his wife Juli and their two sons Finch and Denham.

“It is with the deepest sadness and shock that I have to report that Jarrid Wilson went to be with the Lord last night. At a time like this, there are just no words,” Laurie wrote in a  statement posted on Facebook.

Only hours before his death, the young pastor had to officiate the funeral of a young lady who took her life, and he asked for prayers on Twitter.

Wilson was very open on social media about his struggles with depression and thoughts of suicide. In a tweet, also shortly before his death, he wrote, “Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure suicidal thoughts. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure depression. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure PTSD. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure anxiety. But that doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t offer us companionship and comfort. He ALWAYS does that.”

Not only was he transparent about his struggles, but he actively worked to address the issue of mental health. He and his wife founded Anthem of Hope, an outreach organization to help people dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts. In honor of September being suicide prevention month, Anthem of Hope started the #YourLifeMatters Campaign, which Wilson actively promoted.

As news of Wilson’s death spread yesterday, those in the faith community have expressed their shock and grief at a life gone too soon.

Gospel singer and pastor Travis Greene requested prayer for Wilson’s family while also stating his confusion.

“Prayers for my friend @JarridWilson family. This is confusing.”

Author Jonathan Merritt tweeted, “have cried more tears today than I knew I had in me, grieving the death of @jarridwilson, a friend who was more like family.”

https://twitter.com/JonathanMerritt/status/1171541301306822657

New York Times bestselling writer Jon Acuff, recounted how Wilson reached out to him last week to share his excitement about helping people during Suicide Prevention Month.

“Last Thursday, my friend @JarridWilson texted me about raising awareness for #SuicidePrevention month. His heart was bursting to help other people with their hurt. Last night he lost his own battle with depression. I’m so sad for him, his wife and his young kids.”

Singer and songwriter Jamie Grace revealed that as someone who battles with depression and anxiety, she found Wilson’s tweets helpful.

“As someone who battles anxiety and depression, his posts always encouraged me and i enjoyed chatting with him and his audience on Twitter. Please join me in praying for his wife and family.”

Laurie chose to focus on the fond memories he has of Wilson by sharing a picture of a joyous Wilson baptizing a young woman last Saturday, writing “This is how I remember him.”

The megachurch senior pastor also offered words of comfort, recognizing that sometimes there is no explanation for a tragedy.

“At times like this, we must remember that as Christians, we do not live on explanations but on promises,” he wrote. “We fall back on what we do know, not on what we don’t know. We do know that Jarrid put his faith in Jesus Christ and we also know that he is in Heaven now.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Wilson’s wife and sons. To find out how you can help, click here.

For anyone dealing with depression and thoughts of suicide, please reach out for help. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

 

(Photo: screengrab)

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