A beloved pastor, his wife, and two children were brutally killed in a shooting in Northern Colombia last week, according to the watchdog organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). 

Pastor Marlon Lora, 43, along with his wife Yorley Rincon, 40, and daughter Ángela, 24, were instantly killed by gunfire from a deliberate attack by armed men on motorcycles.

The family’s younger member, Santiago, 21, was severely injured in the attack and passed away from his injuries two days later, according to the Spanish newspaper El País.

The Lora family was shot while eating lunch, shortly after they had left Prince of Peace Church, where Marlon served as pastor, CSW reported. The attack occurred just yards away from the national police station, Department of Cesar, in Aguachica.

The exact reason behind the attack is unknown, El País reported. Several theories are being investigated by local police and the attorney general’s office.

One theory is that the Lora family was loosely related to someone who had connections to a criminal organization, according to El País.

Police have ruled out that the attack had any connections to daughter Ángela’s work as a journalist. Ángela was also a candidate for the municipal council for the Christian party Colombia Justa Libres in 2023, CSW reported.

The national government is offering a reward of up to 50 million pesos ($11,000) for anyone with information about the murders, El Pais said in another article. 

Police are pouring numerous resources into the search, El País noted. William René Salamanca, general of the National Police, told the publication that “more than 70 hours of video on 20 closed circuit televisions” are being analyzed regarding the incident.

Aguachica Mayor Greisy Roqueme declared a curfew in the region after the attack, according to a post on social media. 

“We cannot allow violence to steal our hope,” Roqueme said in Spanish. “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 described the Lora family as a “pillar of the community.”

The couple’s supervisor, Pastor Giovanni Bermúdez, said that Pastor Lora had earlier been concerned about the potential for violence against their family. Lora had told Bermúdez that another pastor in the area had received threats. 

“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 told CSW.  

Pastor Lora and his family lived peaceful lives

Pastor Lora and his church were part of the Missionaries Biblical Churches (IBM) denomination, according to CSW. He and his wife oversaw and frequently traveled to 35 urban and rural churches across Aguachica, Pelaya, San Alberto, San Martin, and other regions in Santander.

Pastor Divanit Alfonso Calle, President of the Association of Pastors of Aguachica, told CSW that the Lora family was beloved in Colombia’s Christian community.

Pastor Lora served as a board member on the association and lived peacefully, Calle said. He and his family were active in church and led ordinary lives.

The Lora family served as strong spiritual leaders in the area, The Evangelical Confederation of Colombia said in a statement.

“The Aguachica Pastors Association has seen the departure of a family that is an example of spiritual leadership in the region,” the statement, originally in Spanish, read. “Let us cover in prayer the family of Pastor Lora Rincón, their council, their congregation, the Aguachica Pastors Association, and all the relatives and people close to the Lora Rincón family.”

Christian persecution on the rise in Colombia

Pastor Marlon and his family’s murders are the latest in a series of deadly attacks in Colombia, CSW reported.

Brothers Ever and Gerson García Vélez, active members of a faith community in Valle del Cauca, were murdered by three men while at their own farm on November 13, 2024.

Two days prior to this, evangelical pastor Salvador Zapateiro Mercado was killed under suspicious and unexplained circumstances in Cartagena, CSW said. 

Then on August 14, 2024, pastoral couple Rodian Rodriguez and Kelly Medina had their home set on fire by neighbors. The neighbors were reportedly angry about the religious gatherings held outside of their residence, according to CSW.

Pastors have little protections in Colombia, said Anna Lee Stangl, CSW Director of Advocacy. Recently, religious leaders were stripped of their status within the National Protection System.

“The Colombian government must . . . ensure protection for religious leaders, who remain at risk of violence and intimidation because of their role as peacemakers in their communities,” Stangl said. “We urge the government to recognize victims from the religious sector within the framework of the individual peace accords.”

Global Christian security nonprofit Concilium Inc. reported that Colombia has seen a spike in violence against Christians in 2024, with a recorded 17 attacks. This is up from the 13 reported attacks in 2023.

Colombia is ranked as the 34th worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution by the nonprofit Open Doors.

Church members are harassed, extorted, and murdered because of the violence from armed guerillas, drug gangs, and other armed groups, Open Doors said. The group added that if Christians speak openly about the corruption around them, they are targeted by criminals.

In another statement, the Evangelical Confederation of Colombia that religious freedom is “systematically violated” in the country.

“Colombia cannot allow itself to be a country where faith and service are reasons for persecution,” the statement said. “It is time to act. Religious freedom is a fundamental right and, as such, must be protected with the greatest commitment.”

Liz Lykins is a correspondent covering religion news for The Roys Report, WORLD Magazine, and other publications.