Heartbreaking Loss for Colombian Church as Pastor and His Family Are Killed
- Milton Quintanilla Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
- Updated Jan 02, 2025
An evangelical pastor and his family were killed Sunday night in Colombia after a gunman on a motorcycle shot them as they were eating outside a restaurant after a church service. As reported by The Christian Post, the gunman killed Pastor Marlon Lora of the Prince of Peace Villaparaguay Church, his wife, Yorley Rincon, and 24-year-old daughter, Angela Lora Rincón, in the municipality of Aguachica. Meanwhile, their 21-year-old son, Santiago Lora Rincón, was injured in the shooting.
According to the United Kingdom-based watchdog organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Lora and his church belonged to the Missionaries Biblical Churches (IBM) denomination, in which he visited and managed nearly three dozen congregations in various parts of the country.
Pastor Giovanni Bermúdez, the couple's supervisor, noted that Pastor Lora previously expressed concern over potential threats made against another pastor.
"Marlon was like many of us pastors — we keep quiet about many things so that everything runs smoothly, even while we carry heavy burdens inside," Bermúdez said.
Pastor Divanit Alfonso Calle, president of the Association of Pastors of Aguachica, said the Christian community in Aguachica also loved Lora and his family. Santiago is a student of systems engineering, while Ángela worked for Aguachica's public utilities firm as a journalist and communications specialist.
The gunman remains at large, with the national government announcing a reward of up to 50 million pesos ($11,000) for information about the slaying of the pastor and his family, the Spanish newspaper El Pais reports.
On Sunday evening, Aguachica Mayor Greisy Roqueme issued a curfew in the aftermath of the deadly shooting.
"We cannot allow violence to steal our hope, so I demand that the National Government, the Minister of Defense and the Public Force turn their attention to the department of Cesar, but above all to the municipality of Aguachica," Roqueme said in a video on social media, El Pais notes.
According to Colombia's Ombudsman's Office in October, there was an increase of violations of religious freedom rights by 31 percent between 2023 and 2024, which includes "discriminatory treatment towards churches and religious denominations, as well as death threats against religious leaders and authorities." The number of death threats also increased by 50 percent between 2023 and 2024.
The incident adds to a pattern of violence against Christians in Colombia in 2024, including the murder of Ever and Gerson Garcia Velez, two brothers who attended church at Valle Del Cauca after three men killed them on their own farm in November. Meanwhile, a pastoral couple's house was set on fire in August by neighbors who were angry over the services they planned to hold outside.
According to Open Doors International's 2024 World Watch List, Colombia ranks as the 34th worst country in the world regarding Christian persecution.
"[C]hurch leaders continue to be harassed, extorted and murdered due to the violence around control of territories between armed guerillas, drug gangs and other armed groups," Open Doors warns. "Christians in these areas who dare to speak publicly about corruption and violence face attacks for their bold witness. Similarly, church leaders who oppose criminal activities in their sermons also can be targeted."
Photo Credit: ©CSW.org
