Two teenagers are mourning both parents after gunmen killed a Calvary Chapel pastor and his wife outside their home in Irapuato, Mexico, shortly after he officiated a funeral.
Ángel González, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Irapuato in Guanajuato state, and his wife, Irán Montes, were attacked by two gunmen early Oct. 15, according to Calvary Chapel Magazine.
González died at the scene. Montes died in an ambulance before reaching a hospital. They leave behind their son, Matthew, 18, and daughter, Dorothy, 17.
“The church is heartbroken and in desperate need of our prayers and support,” the magazine reported. “The Calvary Chapel families all around Mexico are grieving.”
The Christian Post, citing local reporting, said the attack occurred around 1 a.m. in the Villas El Dorado neighborhood. According to the police account, a man exited another car and approached the couple’s vehicle near their garage, firing from about a meter away. He shot González first, then Montes.
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Municipal police reportedly detained a suspected perpetrator whose name had not been released. Authorities had not announced a motive. Preliminary information cited by Calvary Chapel Magazine suggested a robbery had turned fatal, but relatives and friends were awaiting an official report.
Mexico ranks No. 30 on Open Doors’ World Watch List of countries where Christians face the worst persecution, according to The Christian Post.
As the investigation continues, the church has called for prayer for the family and congregation left grieving.
“Please join us in prayer for Pastor Ángel’s children, and the Calvary Chapel Irapuato church family,” the magazine urged.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
