Murder in Church

Andrew Lofton was the pastor for the Christ Temple Apostolic Faith Church in Trotwood Ohio near Dayton. He was shot and killed in the church building by Kenneth Nance, a member of his congregation, during a Wednesday night service on September 16, 1998. Pastor Lofton was a stern-faced man who often preached against sin. On several occasions Nance stood from his seat to challenge the pastor. Nance disagreed with Lofton over various interpretations of Bible passages. One Wednesday night Nance went to church with a Bible in his hand and a pistol in his pocket. Joshua Manor, a neighbor of Nance, said he went to church whistling a gospel tune. He sat through the entire class with his Bible open in his lap, following along as Lofton taught a soul searching Bible lesson on Revelation. After Lofton finished teaching, Nance shot him four times. He stumbled from the pulpit to the floor bleeding. He was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital where he died. Lofton’s wife witnessed the murder. Nance drove his car to the dealership where he purchased it, knowing that he would not be able to make the payments, left the keys in the ignition and walked one mile to the Moraine Police Department where he turned himself in. He was convicted of murder and sent to prison. Nance stated that he murdered pastor Lofton because he disagreed with his interpretation of the Bible. One year after the incident (July 13, 1999) I spoke with the secretary of the church. She said that the church was traumatized by the horrible tragedy but they were carrying on as best as they could. This sad story illustrates the harm that results from quarrels and fights over the Bible. Though we stop short of shooting each other, we murder with hatred. 1 John 3:15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. James 4:1-2 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. Keep your eyes on Jesus and don’t allow arguments to escalate. Let your heart be so full of God’s love that it crowds out every bitter root.