WGTS 91.9 Holds Prayer Service for Those Affected by Plane Crash

Story by Jerry Woods

The WGTS 91.9 staff teamed up with community partners and Christian artist Matt Maher to hold a memorial service for some of the victims of the American Airlines flight 5342 plane crash that happened Jan. 29 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, just outside of Washington, D.C. 

“The morning after the crash, listeners called us to ask for prayer for friends and family members who suffered loss,” says WGTS morning show host Jerry Woods. “We knew we had to do something, and WGTS was in a unique place to unite the community and grieve together. We wanted to provide a safe space for anyone who was hurting, from family members to area residents.”

On Saturday, Feb. 8, close to 1,000 people gathered at New Life church in La Plata, Md., for the service. Listeners and community members gathered at other area churches, and many more watched the service online. WGTS announcers brought words of comfort to the grieving widows, friends and members of the public. The New Life pastors gave a powerful message about how we don’t know why things happen, but we know God is in the boat during the storm.  Musician Matt Maher led worship for everyone and described how he felt about being invited to sing at the service.

“When the folks at WGTS reached out … my first response was 'I don’t have anything to offer,'" says Maher. “But there is a story in Scripture where a man was paralyzed, and the apostle Peter was walking by, and the man cried out. Peter looked at him and said, ‘I don’t have anything to offer you. There’s nothing that I can give you that can help you in this moment, but in the name of Jesus, rise up and walk.’ And the man was healed. So what I can do is I can just sing over you tonight, 'cause if I was in a lot of your shoes, I wouldn’t want to sing … there’s a time when the grief is so thick you can’t get your voice out, so that’s what so great about being the body of Christ. So I’d love to just sing God’s truth over you.”

Kelly Carvalho, WGTS chief administrative officer, says, “It was a powerful and emotional evening witnessing those related to victims worship even in the midst of grief. I cannot begin to imagine their sorrow and pain, but I pray they can lay their heads down tonight knowing they have a community that loves them and is here for them.”