Why?
That's the question on everyone's mind at the Valley Presbyterian Church in Green Valley, Arizona following the mysterious death, allegedly by a self-inflicted" gunshot wound, of pastor and former Navy chaplain Lawrence "Larry" DeLong, The Christian Post reports.
The 60-year-old pastor was found dead by family members last Friday, slumped in his car in the parking lot of Quail Creek-Veterans Municipal Park in Sahuarita, according to Green Valley News. He left behind his wife, Valerie, and two teenage children, Sadie and Seth.
The police said although DeLong's body was found about 6:30 p.m. Friday with the use of a phone app, he might have died several hours earlier. They ruled out foul play in the pastor's death but at the same time could not confirm that it was a suicide since no suicide note was found.
Valley Presbyterian's Pastor of Care Paul Phillips said Saturday the church, one of the largest in Arizona, was shocked by DeLong's death as he had just returned from a weeklong vacation. He said they're still "trying to make sense of mysteries" they can't yet grasp.
"We are sad, this church family is very sad. ... We're in shock," he told Green Valley News.
Adding to the mystery were the last public posts DeLong made on his Facebook page on Aug. 17. They included a funny photo about "dogwood," a post commenting on the difference between the consumer church and the missional church, and a quote attributed to international evangelist and activist Christine Caine on being in a dark place.
"Sometimes when you're in a dark place you think you've been buried, but you've actually been planted," the quote he posted said.
DeLong once said he could never recall a time in his youth when he "didn't feel God's presence all around me."
He led congregations in several states before becoming the senior pastor at Valley Presbyterian Church in 2009.
"Pastor Diane, Pastor Paul and the Session of Valley Presbyterian Church are deeply saddened to share the news of Pastor Larry's untimely and tragic death yesterday evening. Please hold Valerie, Sadie, and Seth in prayer," the Valley Presbyterian Church said in a statement posted on the church's Facebook page on Saturday.
People who closely knew the pastor said his favourite biblical quote was Romans 8:28: "All things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to God's purpose."
