Wichita Christian News and Information

Residents of a small Kansas town are trying to understand why its community has been plagued with a large number of suicides over the past several years. Last week a small group of devoted Christians in Valley Center, Kansas recently took their plea to a higher court. AFN’s Russ Jones was there and has this report.

Apostle Jay Swallow, co-founder of the Two Rivers Native American Training Center in Oklahoma and a Cheyenne tribal member, was invited to Valley Center to lead in a day of teaching and prayer seeking to lift a spirit of suicide which many say resides over the town.

Christian leaders in Valley Center, a bedroom community located just north of Wichita, claim some 20 people has committed suicide over a ten year period - a high number considering the town only has a population of 6,000 residents.

"Every Christian should evaluatie things that happen like repeats. There is something obviously wrong and we've done that today. I believe in time this will become a matter of record," said Dr. Jay Swallow, co-founder of the Two Rivers Native American Training Center

After a time of teaching on spiritual strongholds – a team of prayer warriors joined Swallow at Theorosa’s Bridge on a hot and windy Kansas summer day just outside of town to call on God to bring an end to suicide in the community.

Once a beautiful and scenic site – prayer warriors joined Swallow at Theorosa’s Bridge which is now covered with satanic symbols and graffiti. One legion claims a young woman who had an illegitimate baby trying to hide her shame threw her infant into the river below. Overcome by guilt, she jumped from the bridge drowning herself. Swallow says the bridge symbolizes a spirit of suicide which seems to be present in Valley Center and Christians need to claim the power God has given them to call upon the Lord to bring healing.

In 2001 Swallow conducted a similar summit on suicide with the Standing Rock Sioux tribe of North Dakota when they didn’t know where to turn.