Senior pastor Glynn Stone Jr. of Mobberly Baptist Church in Longview, Texas, died in a one-car crash March 19 in Longview.

“We know this news is shocking and hard to understand. Processing this information is likely confusing and painful, and we would be remiss to ignore the fact that there is a plethora of emotions among you,” the church said in a statement posted at mobberly.org. “In times like these, we believe trusting the Lord and turning to Him in prayer is the best response.”

The Longview Police Department was still compiling the accident report Friday, a police spokesperson told Baptist Press, and could give no details of the crash.

Stone was pronounced dead about 5:15 p.m. Thursday at Longview Regional Medical Center, the Longview News-Journal reported. Stone was alone in the car during the afternoon accident. His wife Angie was with him at the hospital when he was pronounced dead, according to the newspaper.

“It was a one-vehicle wreck,” the News-Journal quoted B.H. Jameson, Gregg County Precinct 1 justice of the peace. “For whatever reason, [Stone] veered off of the road at Alpine Road and hit a bridge column.”

After requesting prayer for Angie and the couple’s three sons Trey, Luke and Colt, the church opened its Longview worship center for prayer Thursday evening.

“We will share further details at a later time,” the church said. “Right now, we are focused on ministering to Pastor Glynn’s family, our staff and our members.”

Stone, who was active in Southern Baptist life, had pastored the church since 2007. He was treasurer of the 2016 Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) Pastors’ Conference, chairman of the 2015 SBC Committee on Committees, and had served as an International Mission Board trustee.

With campuses in Longview and Marshall, Mobberly Baptist Church averaged 2,119 in Sunday worship attendance and baptized 230 people in 2019, according to the 2019 SBC Annual Church Profile.

(EDITOR’S NOTE – Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ general assignment writer/editor.