Minnesota church officials have announced an 'unimaginable' twist in the case of a former pastor who was murdered after he moved his family to Angola.
Beau Shroyer, 44, the former lead pastor of Lakes Area Vineyard Church in Detroit Lakes, was 'killed in an act of violence' in Angola on October 25, Pastor Troy Easton told congregants at the time.
He had moved to the central African country with his wife, Jackie, and their five children in 2021 to become a missionary with the organization SIM USA.
But Easton has since revealed that the pastor's wife Jackie has been arrested in connection with Beau's death.
'This is unimaginable and yet it is very real,' Easton wrote in an updated letter to congregants on Friday.
'I love you very much and I am heartbroken and in shock that I need to send this type of update to you today,' he told the congregation, imploring them to 'sit down, take a deep breath and remember that God is our ever-present help in times of trouble' before he revealed the news.
The pastor went on to say 'our grief and sadness has deepened immeasurably' with the news of Jackie's arrest.
'As a community, we must cry out to the Lord for his grace, mercy and comforting presence for the Shroyer children and family,' Easton wrote.
'We must honor God and love each other by how we communicate about this, and we must continue to stand together asking God to do in and through all of this what only He can.'
SIM USA leaders also said they were 'shocked and devastated' by the news.
'SIM is grateful to Angolan law enforcement for their diligence in investigating this matter and encourages patience and respect for all involved as the legal process unfolds,' they told Valley News Live.
'SIM remains committed to supporting the ongoing pursuit of justice for Beau and has taken steps to ensure that Jackie has appropriate legal representation,' they added, noting its leadership team is also working with Lakes Area Vineyard Church 'to care for the Shroyers' five children and everyone else affected by this tragedy.
'We continue to keep them all in our prayers.'
Beau had previously worked as a police officer, joining the Detroit Lakes Police Department in 2013, before becoming a real estate agent, according to the Detroit Lakes Tribune.
He eventually changed careers again to become a pastor, and in 2021, he and his wife, Jackie, became missionaries - and became one of the first families to move to Angola after pandemic lockdowns eased.
Beau would then share updates about his missionary work on social media.
In a post on October 24, just one day before his untimely death, Beau wrote about meeting a young student named Mauricio, who walked long distances to attend school.
Another post mentioned his agricultural efforts in the region, saying he spent the day 'spreading manure by hand over a 40 x 16 meter agricultural plot.'
He had also explained during a presentation that the government of Angola had given the ministry a parcel of land next to an orange farm that was constantly attacked by criminals, according to the Christian Post.
At the top of his list of needs for the property that he presented to Country Faith Church was the need to build a perimeter wall and hire more security.
Beau explained that the orange farm installed an electrified, 10-foot high razor wire fence and hired about 50 guards to protect the farm, but they still struggled with crime in the area.
A motive for his death has not yet been revealed, and the charges against Jackie remain unclear.
