Prayer Vigil Continues as Jury Deliberates

June 15, 2016 — On a small lawn across the street from the Hamilton, Ontario, courthouse, a quiet prayer vigil is ongoing.

Family, friends, members of the church community, and sympathetic strangers are praying for and supporting the Bosma family as they await a verdict in the trial of men accused of murdering Tim Bosma.

The prayer vigil began on Monday, June 13, and is planned to continue until a verdict is reached.

Tim, a young husband, father, and a member of Ancaster (ON) Christian Reformed Church, was killed in May 2013 after accompanying two men on a test drive of a truck he was trying to sell.

Dellen Millard of Toronto, Ontario, and Mark Smich of Oakville, Ontario are accused of murdering him. After months of testimony, the judge has given his charge to the jury, and the jurors have begun deliberating.

Each day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., prayer leaders and CRC staff invite people to stop, pray, and leave a note of blessing for the family and those involved in the trial. Some, having heard about the vigil, come intentionally to downtown Hamilton to spend time in prayer.

One woman has been praying for the Bosma family each day, and writing her prayers down, since the trial began in February; she came on Tuesday to give the stack of prayers to prayer vigil organizers as a gift for the family.

“There has been so much prayer surrounding this. We know that, whatever the outcome, God’s will will be done,” she said.

Many passersby notice the colourful prayer board and have come to talk, pray, and add to the messages of support and prayer posted on the board. “I think it’s really neat what you’re doing here,” said one woman. “I’ve prayed for them – but this lets [the family] know that they’re prayed for.”

Members of Bosma’s family stopped by on Monday and again on Tuesday, coming from the courthouse to speak with some of those gathered, and to express their gratitude for the support.

Rev. Darren Roorda, the Canadian Ministries director and one of the organizers of the vigil, said, “In being here, we hope to acknowledge that this space, and all of the difficult spaces of life, are within Christ’s gracious, loving presence.

“We want to encourage and support the Bosma family and all those whom these events have touched. This is what it means to be part of a church community.”

See local media CHCH story here.