Bayside church condemns pro-Trump riot. Official’s wife says she was ‘storming the Capitol’
Bayside Community Church condemned last week’s pro-Trump riot at the U.S. Capitol, after social media posts showed a senior official’s wife at the insurrection.
Bayside, one of the largest churches in Manatee County, issued a statement on its Facebook page on Friday in response to “accusations and comments made regarding the church’s involvement.”
“Anyone who attends Bayside Community Church and also attended the events in Washington, D.C,. did so as a private individual, for their own purposes and not as a representative of Bayside Community Church,” the post said. “We want to make it clear that Bayside Community Church does not support, agree with, or condone violence, lawlessness, riots, or terrorism of any kind. No pastor or staff member of Bayside Community Church attended or participated in any of the events which occurred in our Nation’s Capitol this past week.”
Screenshots of some of the social media posts in question that have since been deleted show Krystle Sommers, the wife of Josh Sommers, the church’s executive director of worship, and her mother outside the Capitol as rioters ransacked the building.
One photo shows Krystle Sommers and two men standing in the mob with the caption, “We went for a rally and we ended up in The Storm. Ps tear gas tastes like crap. My mom is not in this picture because she couldn’t wait for us and hauled up the building by herself.”
In the photo, Krystle Sommers has a gas mask hanging from her neck.
A church spokeswoman said neither of the men in the photo with Krystle was her husband, reiterating that no one with an official role in the church was at the Capitol. Angie Moore, the church’s communication director, said she did not know who the men were.
In another since deleted post, a video shows Krystle Sommers in the mob laughing as she said, “Alright, I’ve changed my mind. I’m storming the Capitol. The video cuts to a pan of the mob as she joined them in chanting “USA” and later cuts to her shouting, “the revolution.”
Janet Casserley, Krystle Sommers’ mother, has since deleted only some of her posts, including a photo of her posing with a noose that was set up across from the Capitol. Several public posts still remain up and show some photos and video her and her daughter traveling to and the insurrection.
According to previous reporting from the Bradenton Herald, Krystle Sommers has also worked for the church in the past.
“As a church, we cannot control or dictate the attitudes or actions of our church attendees, including the spouses or family of our staff members. Any actions, statements, and videos reflect personal viewpoints of the individual and in no way represent the viewpoints and beliefs of our church,” the church’s statement Friday also said.
This story was originally published January 11, 2021 at 1:09 PM.
CORRECTION: Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story named one of the men seen in the photo with Krystle Sommers as her husband Josh, an official with Bayside Community Church. A church spokeswoman said the man is not her husband.
