09/06/2026
We wanted to make everyone aware of a concerning situation that occurred during one of our livestreams today and explain how we handled it.
An individual posted a comment stating that they were considering taking their own life and urgently asked someone to contact them privately through WhatsApp.
Whenever someone expresses thoughts of su***de or self-harm, we believe those statements should be treated seriously and with compassion. At the same time, we also have a responsibility to protect our church family, staff, and volunteers.
We reviewed the account and the information that was provided. During that review, we identified several warning signs indicating that the message may not be authentic and may instead be associated with spam or social engineering.
Because we cannot know with certainty what another person may truly be experiencing, we chose to respond with both compassion and caution.
We did NOT contact the individual through WhatsApp, provide personal contact information, send money, or move the conversation to a private communication platform.
Instead, our approach is to direct anyone expressing an immediate mental-health crisis toward qualified crisis professionals, emergency services, or appropriate resources in their area and to use the safety and reporting tools provided by the social-media platform.
We are sharing this because similar situations could occur again during a livestream, in Facebook comments, or through private messages.
Please remember:
• Do not contact unfamiliar individuals through your personal phone number, WhatsApp, or another private account on behalf of the church.
• Do not send money, gift cards, financial information, or personal information in response to messages like these.
• Never assume that a statement involving self-harm is simply a scam. Treat the statement seriously while directing the individual toward appropriate professional help.
• If you encounter a concerning message on one of our church platforms, please notify church leadership or our media team rather than attempting to handle the situation personally.
• Please do not share or repost phone numbers or other personal information that someone places in a public comment.
We want Smithfield Baptist Church to remain a place where people are treated with compassion and where genuine cries for help are never ignored. We also want to exercise wisdom and protect our congregation from people who may attempt to take advantage of that compassion.
Those two responsibilities do not have to conflict.
We can care for people while maintaining appropriate boundaries, directing individuals in crisis toward qualified help, and protecting our church family.
Thank you to everyone who helps us keep our online ministry welcoming, compassionate, and safe.
