PRAY FOR THE CHAPMANS

Thursday, May 22, 2008

I landed at the airport last night, and was greeted with a phone call letting me know that Steven Curtis Chapman’s five year old daughter, Maria, had been killed in an accident at their family home in Franklin. Tragically, the Chapman’s teenage son struck Maria while pulling his vehicle out of their driveway.

I post this note today in hope that you and your family will pray for Steven, his wife Mary Beth, and their children in the days to come.

I first met Steven back in 1994, shortly after moving to Franklin.  Within a few years, we worked together on a longform video entitled “The Walk”, which looked at his then ten years as a Christian singer/songwriter.  We traveled to London to shoot at Abbey Road Studios, to his hometown of Paducah, Kentucky, and numerous other places around the country.

We’ve done several other projects together over the years, most recently for his adoption foundation, Shaohannah’s Hope (http://www.shaohannahshope.org).

In my time with him, I’ve come to know that much greater than having won more Dove Awards than any other artist in the history of Christian music, his foremost priority is to be a fiercely dedicated husband and father seeking to shepherd his family in a way that honors the Lord.

Maria was the Chapmans’ sixth child, their third adopted daughter.  One doesn’t need to be in the Chapman home long before seeing clearly that Steven and Mary Beth’s hearts are tenderly turned to their children.  I ran into them in downtown Franklin recently; before long, the conversation turned to their interest in potentially homeschooling their younger children.  Whether it’s Christian education (like that received by their older children) or homeschooling, I know that Steven and Mary Beth are seeking God’s very best for their family.

Our hearts are heavy as we consider the Chapman household today.  And so I ask again that you lift up this precious family before the Throne of Grace.  May God comfort them, may He unify them, may He strengthen them, and may He begin even now the healing process in the Chapman family.

Posted by: Ken Carpenter

Posted on 5/22 at 7:28 PM • Reflection • Permalink
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