Meet the minister injured in Nashville church shooting: 'Twice he's been at death's door'

The minister injured in the Sunday mass church shooting also worked as a teacher and longtime coach at Christian schools in Nashville.

Joey Spann leads Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch where a 25-year-old Rutherford County man opened fire just after the morning worship service ended. One person was killed in the shooting and eight were wounded.

Spann is the kind of person who would have gone out of his way to help anyone, even the shooter, said Mike McPherson, who is Spann's best friend and colleague at Nashville Christian School.  

More:Nashville church shooting: Masked gunman kills woman, injures seven in Antioch, police say

"He would have taken care of him without even knowing him," McPherson said. "Coach Spann is that way almost to a fault." 

McPherson, who spoke to The Tennessean from a waiting room at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said he drove straight to the church and then to the hospital after hearing Spann and his wife Peggy were injured in the shooting. It is a surreal experience, he said. 

More:Antioch church shooting: 10-year-old boy helped barricade door inside building

A coach and teacher

"I would want my kid to play for him more than any coach in the world," said McPherson, his voice choking up with emotion. 

Spann, a bi-vocational minister, also teaches Bible classes at Nashville Christian School and coaches the school's middle and high school girls basketball teams. The school asked for people to pray for Spann and his wife in a statement posted on Facebook. 

More:Antioch church shooting: What we know now

"One of our Bible teachers, Joey Spann, and his wife were both injured in the church shooting this morning at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch," the school's Facebook post said. "Please lift up Coach Joey Spann and his wife Peggy and all who have been injured or impacted by this tragic event." 

Metro police listed Peggy and David Spann, 66, among the injured. McPherson confirmed to USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee that David Joseph Spann is Joey Spann's full name. Spann was in critical but stable condition and his 65-year-old wife was in stable condition, police said. 

Spann also coached at Ezell-Harding Christian School and Goodpasture Christian School, said McPherson, who coached with Spann at Ezell-Harding, too.  

Surviving cardiac arrest 

In 2011, Spann survived sudden cardiac arrest while coaching Goodpasture Christian School’s girls’ basketball team. The team was playing their rival David Lipscomb Campus School when he collapsed and an automated external defibrillator was used to revive him.  

"He survived that. God brought him back," McPherson said. "Twice he's been at death's door."

On Sunday, church goer Minerva Rosa, who applied pressure to Spann's chest while waiting for help to arrive, said the minister shouted, "Run," as the shooter entered the church. 

By Sunday evening, McPherson was able to visit Spann in his hospital room. He described him as "very conscious" and "very aware," but in pain. Spann recounted the morning's harrowing events to McPherson. He is sad one of his church members lost her life, but grateful no one else did, McPherson said.    

"He was trying to save his church," McPherson said. "You ought to be able to go to church and be OK." 

Spann was a dedicated minister too, said Scott Sager, a vice president of church relations at Lipscomb University, a Church of Christ college. Sager described the congregation at Burnette Chapel as smaller and multi-ethnic. Many of its members are older, too, he said. 

More:Tennessee church shooting: What we know about the injured

"He's just an all-around really great guy, really cares about kids and people and has done really faithful work out here," Sager said. 

After hearing about the shooting, Sager drove to Burnette Chapel and the neighboring church New Beautiful Gate Church, which served as a reunification center for those who were at the church during the shooting. 

"There are wonderful ministers like Joey that are serving at small congregations that don’t make the news,” Sager said. "They’re doing really good work and taking care of people and ministering. I think the fact that Joey was there right in the midst of this is a testament to his devotion to the lord but also to his congregation."

Reach Holly Meyer at hmeyer@tennessean.com or 615-259-8241 and on Twitter @HollyAMeyer. 

More shooting coverage:

More:Nashville church shooting: Masked gunman kills woman, injures seven in Antioch, police say

More:Gov. Bill Haslam prays for victims after mass shooting at Antioch church

More:Antioch church shooting: What we know now

More:Feds open civil rights probe into Nashville church shooting

More:Before Antioch church shooting, suspect made cryptic Facebook posts