5 Christian Leaders Share Their Thoughts on the American Airlines Plane Crash

Christian leaders called on fellow believers to pray for the grieving families and to refrain from speculation after an American Airlines plane collided with a Black Hawk helicopter in D.C. Wednesday, killing all 67 on board the two craft. The crash involved a regional plane, American Airlines Flight 5342, that was approaching Reagan National Airport (DCA) for landing when it collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter on a training mission. The plane had taken off from Wichita, Kan. 

Below are comments from five Christian leaders: 

1. Greg Laurie, Author and Pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship

"Our hearts are broken for the families who are now facing this devastating loss. Let's lift up these grieving families in prayer and also remember the first responders, who continue their incredibly difficult task of recovery. In times like this, we often ask, 'Why did God allow this to happen?' To that question, I don't have an answer. But I do know who we can turn to -- Jesus. In moments of sorrow and uncertainty, He is our source of comfort, strength, and hope.

"May God bring peace to those who are mourning. And may this tragedy remind us all of the brevity of life. None of us are promised tomorrow, which is why we must be ready for eternity. As Scripture says, 'Prepare to meet your God' (Amos 4:12). 

"If you have not yet placed your faith in Christ, now is the time. Life is short, but eternity is forever. Don't wait -- turn to Him today."

A Call to Prayer in the Midst of Tragedy

In an unimaginable tragedy, 64 people aboard an American Airlines jet lost their lives following a collision with a Black Hawk helicopter carrying three others last night at Reagan international Airport in Washington DC. Our hearts are…

— Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) January 30, 2025

2. Joseph Backholm, Senior Fellow, Family Research Council

"If your first response to this tragedy was 'Obviously DEI!' or 'Trump froze hiring on air traffic control!' please seek help," Backholm said. 

3. Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

The Christian community, Mohler said, has a responsibility in how it handles discussions about the crash. 

"It's very telling that the national media conversation so quickly turned to: Who is at fault here, what policy is going to be changed here? A part of that is because with the cameras on them, and with the necessity of constant conversation about a tragedy like this, with news just trickling in and the story unfolding -- rather ridiculous things are said," Mohler said on his podcast, The Briefing. "And things can get quite quickly out of proportion. As Christians, we must do our best to put them back into proportion. And that means that we ponder the meaning of almost 70 human lives. …We also understand that every single human life on that plane was a human being made in the image of God, and thus, they are not merely an aviation collision statistic. … In the meantime, it does point out and underline, once again, in tragic but indelible terms, what is at stake in the difference between life and death and just how quickly, in the space of an instant, the difference between life and death can be just about everything. The passengers on that airline were preparing to get off the airplane and get on with their business. The crew was concentrating on landing the plane safely. The military crew had their own assignment. The fact is, all of that changed in an instant, and that is a humbling realization for us all."

4. Ed Stetzer, Dean, Talbot School of Theology

"Lord, be near to the grieving."

Lord, be near to the grieving. https://t.co/PKnXJ5kiUh pic.twitter.com/rLnt3rC1sR

— Ed Stetzer (@edstetzer) January 30, 2025

5. Ben Staley, Pastor of Congregational Care, Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, Wichita, Kan.

"All of us are going to know people who know people," he told KSHB of the families of victims. "So it's a great time to double down on caring for each other, upholding each other, holding hands, maybe a little more than we used to. And continuing to pray and depend on the Lord in this time."

Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Greg Laurie

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

Originally published January 30, 2025.