AMERICA WATCH: Christians Remember Murdered U.S. Evangelists
By Worthy News North America Service
WASHINGTON, USA (Worthy News)– Christian leaders were preparing to hold a memorial service later Sunday, May 16, in the Boynton Beach are of the U.S. state of Florida to honor two street evangelists who were murdered there earlier this year.
Stephen Ocean, 23, and Tite Sufra, 24, were shot and killed January 30 after preaching the Gospel on the public sidewalk, police and Christians said.
The 18-year old suspect, Jeriah Woody, was detained February 3 after surrendering to police and is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, police said at the time.
Sunday’s memorial service in honor of the slain preachers is led by Gary Cass of the Anti-Christian Defamation Coalition, based in San Diego; Reverend Patrick Mahoney, of the Christian Defense Coalition in Washington, D.C.; and Pastor Mark Boykin of Church of All Nations in Boca Raton, Florida, organizers said.
The memorial was to be held on Sunday, May 16, at 3:00 P.M. local time in front of the Boynton Beach Public Library, 200 South Seacrest Blvd.
After the service the group were to lay flowers “at the exact spot where the preachers were murdered and pray for the gang violence to end,” the groups said in a statement.
The murders came amid concerns about what several conservative groups view as increased hostility and violence in the United States against active Christians and churches.