The 14-year-old daughter of the church's pastor is among the victims of a gunman who opened fire at a baptist church in Texas.

Live: Pastor's daughter among 27 dead in shooting

The pastor and his wife had taken a rare weekend off work and were out of town when the massacre unfolded at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.

Authorities believe 27 people are were killed by a gunman who opened fire inside the church during a Sunday service. The gunman is also dead after fleeing the scene.

Among those killed at the white clapboard church was 14-year-old girl Annabelle Renee Pomeroy. Her father Frank is a pastor at the church.

Annabelle "was one very beautiful, special child," Pomeroy told ABC News by phone.

She was his youngest daughter.

The pastor and his wife Sherri were in Oklahoma this morning on a rare weekend off.

All of the dead were close friends, he said.

Sherri Pomeroy wrote in a text message that she and her husband were out of town in two different states when the attack occurred.

"We lost our 14 year old daughter today and many friends," she wrote.

"Neither of us have made it back into town yet to personally see the devastation. I am at the charlotte airport trying to get home as soon as i can."

Just last Sunday Pastor Pomeroy has delivered a sermon at the church, encouraging parishioners to "lean on the Lord," even when circumstances don't make sense.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely, or lean, on your own understanding," he said.

"You see God's understanding is far greater and there may be things that are taking place that you don't understand but you still need to do what God's calling you to do."

The gunman fled in a vehicle after the attack and was killed, either by a self-inflicted wound or during a confrontation with police.

Federal law enforcement swarmed the small community 30 miles southeast of San Antonio after the attack to offer assistance, including ATF investigators and members of the FBI's evidence collection team.