This Sunday’s service at Providence Baptist Church in Pasadena, Texas, was anything but ordinary. It was a celebration—one of their own had finally come home. After spending nine months stranded in space, astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore reunited with his wife, two daughters and church family.
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“It’s great to know that he’s here, that he’s safely here,” said Pastor Tommy Dahn.
Wilmore has been resting following last week’s 17-hour return journey to Earth alongside fellow astronaut Suni Williams. During his 286 days aboard the International Space Station, Wilmore relied heavily on his faith.
“My feeling on all of this goes back to my faith,” Wilmore said. “It’s bound in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is working out His plans, His purposes for His glory throughout all humanity.”
Pastor Dahn emphasized that Wilmore’s faith was not just a temporary source of strength during his time in space. “It wasn’t just a faith that he drummed up for nine months,” Dahn said. “That’s the way Barry’s lived.”
Wilmore also found encouragement in the prayers and messages from his church family, who followed his journey closely.
“He watched every Sunday,” said Pastor Corey Johnson. “So having that, being able to hear the word of God, having the Word of God to read—like that—the Lord’s the one that sustained him through it all.”
As a longtime elder of the church, Wilmore stayed connected with his congregation while in orbit. He frequently called church members from space and even led devotionals, sometimes joining in song with fellow astronauts.
“We sang together with all the astronauts on the space station,” Dahn said. “We sang ‘Amazing Grace,’ and Barry shared the devotion with the whole congregation.”
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