wfn.org | [APD] In Guatemala, Adventists mourn murdered pastor

[Christian B. Schäffler <APD@stanet.ch>]

[APD] In Guatemala, Adventists mourn murdered pastor

In Guatemala, Adventists mourn murdered pastor

Guatemala City, Guatemala, 11..03.2009/ANN/APD   Guatemalan Seventh-day
Adventists are mourning the loss of a minister after he was gunned down in
Guatemala's southern region February 26.

Erick Cerritos (33), a native of Guatemala, was travelling in his car with
his family when he was intercepted by another car and shot several times.

Cerritos, who had spent more than a decade serving as a minister in the
neighbouring country of Honduras, is the latest victim in a string of
escalating violence the church in Guatemala has experienced.

"This is a terrible tragedy brought out by the unstoppable violence here in
Guatemala hitting our Adventist family these last few months. Investigators
believe the incident might have been a case of mistaken identity," said Juan
Lopez, Communication director for the Adventist Church in Central Guatemala.

Lopez reports that more than 120 Adventists have been affected by violence
since the beginning of 2008. "There have been 12 church members murdered,
100 extortions and 10 kidnappings by gang members and drug traffickers
throughout the country," he said.

Lopez explained that the Mexican government has recently intensified its
fight against drug trafficking. Many cartels have crossed the southern
border into Guatemala and brought their operations and violence with them.

Adventist Church leaders and members gathered for a memorial service in
Guatemala City the day after the murder. Cerritos's body was later
transported to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where hundreds gathered February 28
for a special service.

"We are still in shock in Honduras," said Walter Ciguenza, Communication
director for the church's Mid-Central American region, headquartered in
Honduras.

"This has hit our church very hard," said Ciguenza, who explained that in
the more than 10 years he has served in Honduras nothing like this has ever
hit the church so hard.

More than 800 people crowded the Comayaguela Adventist Church in Tegucigalpa
during a memorial service for the late pastor. More people followed the
radio broadcast of the program. Cerritos was remembered for his dedicated
pastoral leadership in the districts of Rio Grande, La Hacienda and La Era
in Honduras.

Winston Simpson, Ministerial Association secretary for the Adventist church
in Mid-Central America, spoke of the great loss to his pastoral team and
offered words of hope to those mourning. "We are saddened for losing Pastor
Cerritos," said Simpson. "We must continue in faith in finishing the work
God has called us to do."

Cerritos pursued his theology degree from the Adventist University in Costa
Rica and obtained a master's degree in pastoral ministry from the
Inter-American Theological Seminary in 2007. He is survived by his wife and
three-year-old daughter.

Meanwhile, leaders in Guatemala continue to be concerned with the safety of
their members. Just a day after the memorial, a pastor who had finished
preaching was violently assaulted and treated for a cut to his head
requiring 10 stitches.

Lopez said that churches in Guatemala are planning to organize a nationwide
march against violence in the coming weeks. (With news input from Adventist
News Network (ANN)).

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