Suicide is not the solution.
That was the central message of a teen suicide conference held earlier this month at New Salem Baptist Church in Soddy-Daisy.
“God has a plan for your life,” youth pastor James Greg Sluder told the dozens of youths and adults in attendance. “He promised to prosper you, and his promise for you cannot be left unfinished.”
Pastor Alan Rogers said it was coincidence that the church’s conference coincided with “13 Reasons Why,” a series about a teen who commits suicide that has become one of the top dramas on Netflix.
The show’s popularity illustrates the need to have more discussion about suicide, he said, adding that the church is considering a follow-up conference in the fall.