WINONA, Texas — Exactly one year since a shooting at Starrville Methodist Church that killed Pastor Mark McWilliams, the tight knit community of Starrville is still trying to make sense of what happened.
Mike Sellers fought for his life in the ICU after being shot six times at the church.
"It feels like a bee sting with hot coal going through...one with a 9mm, anyway," said Sellers.
He stood next to his horse named Magic, remembering a miracle of his own -- the morning the shooting happened as he lied on the ground bleeding.
"At that point, I was calling for the lord to save me there that day," Sellers recalled. "And he did. He stepped in and kept me from bleeding out."
What happened next and the first several days in the hospital is a blur for Sellers, but he considers being shot a blessing in disguise. Being hospitalized is how doctors were able to find his kidney halfway overcome with cancer.
He also has a bullet fragment still lodged in his chin that he can’t feel.
"But that's another miracle you know," said Sellers. "It didn't cut any jugular vein or anything, you know? Just miracle after miracle.”
Tom Pritchard lives beside the church and heard everything that fateful morning.
“It's still very rough," Pritchard said. "Mark McWilliams was just a super nice guy. Wonderful preacher.”
The 20-person Starrville community says they’ll never forget their dear friend and late pastor, Mark McWilliams.
Pritchard also says he’s grateful Sellers is still here.
"His blood was all over the lower part of the building over there," Pritchard said as he motioned to the church across his lawn. "And I was amazed. I didn't know if he was gonna make it or not. And I'm certainly glad he did.”
In Sellers' words, "God saved me because I’m the Starrville church survivor.”
Community members are planning a memorial to honor Pastor McWilliams on Sunday, Jan. 9 at 10:30 a.m. at Starrville Methodist. They’re also going to plant a tree in his honor.