WGTS Hosts Memorial Service for Victims of Flight 5342
| RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, February 11, 2025 | 3:17pm CT |
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 The WGTS on-air team shares words of comfort at the service |
In response to the tragic plane crash of American Airlines flight 5342 on January 29, near Reagan National Airport, Christian Contemporary WGTS 91.9, along with community partners, held a poignant memorial service on February 8. The event featured Christian artist Matt Maher and took place at New Life Church in La Plata, MD gathering close to a thousand attendees.
WGTS morning host Jerry Woods shared the community's immediate reaction to the tragedy. "The morning after the crash, listeners called us to ask for prayer for friends and family members who suffered loss," Woods said. "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."
The service not only brought together locals at New Life Church but also saw listeners and community members gathering at other churches across the area, with many more joining the service online. The pastors of New Life La Plata delivered a powerful message, emphasizing that despite not understanding why tragic events happen, it is known that "God is with us in the boat in the storm."
Highlighting the evening was Matt Maher's worship session, where he reflected on his participation: "When the folks at WGTS reached out...my first response was I don't have anything to offer," Maher recounted. "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, reflected on the service. "It was a powerful and emotional evening witnessing those related to victims worship even in the midst of grief," Carvalho stated. "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."
