Tragedy at The Church in Sacramento

[countmeworthy]

https://www.kcra.com/article/law-enforcement-church-arden-sacramento-county/39271675#\

There was a tragic murder suicide last night during a “service or event” taking place at the church in Sacramento. The news report went like this: “there were other people in the Church in Sacramento at the time of the shooting but none were involved”.

5 people were killed. Father killed his 3 little girls. He then killed himself. The 5th person was either a church employee/worker or social worker

I googled 2041 Wyda Way Sacramento and it lists "Church in Sacramento"

A young teenage girl was briefly interviewed. Looked very much like an LC church kid. I do think the very sad and disturbing tragedy occurred at an LC church meeting hall.
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[UntoHim]

Forum Members:
In respect to the mother of these dear children, and to all concerned,
let's all refrain from making any comments on this tragic event for the time being.
If the elders of the Church in Sacramento make a public statement,
then it would be appropriate to post here.

[UntoHim]

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our affliction,
so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction,
with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3,4

Oh Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort we implore you to grant our beloved sister and the family comfort and grace.
Lord Jesus, as the Prince of Peace, the Great Physician and Wounded Healer, grant our sister and the families and the Church in Sacramento your peace and healing.
Oh God, we ask that you send your Holy Spirit as the Comforter and Helper in this time of great tragedy and loss.
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[countmeworthy]

Amen. Words of prayer have been so hard for me to find. Your prayer was very anointed UntoHim. Thank you for expressing my and I’m sure everyone’s heartfelt sentiments.

I think I am still stunned. I can’t wrap my head around this tragedy. May the Lord our God comfort and come through for this mother, loved ones, classmates and friends of the children as well as the church in Sacramento.

Holy Spirit of Jesus and Father God, please guide and counsel them all especially the mother. Thank You Father for receiving our petitions.

May something good somehow, someway come out of this horrificly sad devastation.

[Readthyword]

The Church provided the following statement to one of the local news stations.

The leadership of The Church in Sacramento is shocked and saddened by the tragic shooting that occurred in our church meeting hall late Monday, February 28, resulting in the deaths of five of our members, including three young girls from one of our families.

Our church body is devastated and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy and we ask for continued prayer for the victims, their family and our faith community as we grapple with this unexpected loss and trust the Lord for His strength in our grief.

We continue to cooperate with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department in their investigation, are committed to ministering to anyone in need during this difficult time and are doing everything possible to provide comfort to our congregation as we come together as a church family

https://fox40.com/news/local-news/community-pays-respects-at-church-where-4-killed/

[Ohio]

Nathaniel Kong, elder in Sacramento, was a true shepherd who laid down his life for his flock, the children of God. There was nothing easy about this perp, a violent abusive alcoholic, yet brother Kong preached the gospel to him, provided hospitality and counseling when his family broke up, and cared for his children so that he could see them under supervised care. No one would consider this guy "good material," yet he received unconditional love when he deserved none.

"May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord in that day! And in how many things he served in Sacramento, you know very well." 2 Tm 1.18

[Zezima]

Nathaniel Kong, elder in Sacramento, was a true shepherd who laid down his life for his flock, the children of God. There was nothing easy about this perp, a violent abusive alcoholic, yet brother Kong preached the gospel to him, provided hospitality and counseling when his family broke up, and cared for his children so that he could see them under supervised care. No one would consider this guy "good material," yet he received unconditional love when he deserved none.

"May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord in that day! And in how many things he served in Sacramento, you know very well." 2 Tm 1.18

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

[UntoHim]

What do we, as Christians, do in the face of such a senseless tragedy as took place in Sacramento California on Monday? What Bible verse can we look to that might help us cope with such utter devastation? Surely there is a passage that might explain where the Lord is in all of this, and how a sovereign and righteous God would allow a father to murder his three young girls, and then take the life of the man who had helped him the most. Well, then there must be some hymn or song or poem that could comfort, that could assure us that the Lord is indeed in all of this - that God has somehow purposed this to work for good. I have spend the better part of all my waking hours the last few days searching for such a verse or passage, so that I could post it here on the forum. I have racked my brain (such as it is) day and night trying to think of a Christian hymn, song or poem that I could post here on the forum.

I know the Lord wants to speak to us - he always has something to say in such times of tragedy. Maybe he is speaking and we just cannot hear him through all the noise. Maybe we just need to be still and know that he is God. More than one time this past week the Lord has pointed me to how he was speaking and working in all the tragedies I have experienced. One evening in 1990, just after putting my two little girls to bed, the phone rang. It was my father. My mother, at only 66, had died suddenly of a heart attack. I though of all the times I could have preached the Gospel to her and didn't. One nice spring day in early 90s I got a call at work. My eldest brother had passed away from AIDS. I later learned that that month was to be the greatest loss of Americans to AIDS in any month. But my brother was not just one of thousands to die from AIDS that month - he was my brother, and in his mid 40s, and I thought of all the times I could have preached the Gospel to him and didn't. A couple of years later I got the call that another brother had lost his battle with lung cancer. He had smoked when younger but had given up cigarettes for over a decade. It didn't seem fair, he was only in his mid 40s, and I thought about all the times I could have preached the Gospel to him and didn't.

One evening in June, 5 years ago I lost my wife of 36 years, 8 weeks and one day. We met at 16, and I never dated or had the slightest desire to be with any other woman since I met her. She was the greatest person I had ever known. She was the most loving and dedicated wife, mother, daughter and sister one could ever imagine. She was also the greatest Christian I have ever known. So why would God take her from me at only 58 years old? She was not the only woman to die of metastatic breast cancer that day - about 120 American women would die of breast cancer that very day. But still I cried many tears and with great anguish ask God "why?" "Where is your will and sovereignty in this?" It took a long, long time for me to stop listening to the noise of all the questions and all the grief. It took a while to be still and know that He is God. He was God the day I met my wife, He was God the day the doctor told us she had months to live, and He was God the day she died in my arms. Even if we choose the noise over being still, He is God. Even if we don't understand, He is God. When He gives and blesses He is God. When he takes away He is God.

What do we, as Christians, do in the face of such a senseless tragedy as took place in Sacramento California on Monday? How do we separate all the noise from what could be God's speaking? How long to we have to be still? Maybe the answer to these questions is a little different for each one of us.

Here's a short YouTube video entitled "None of our Misery is Meaningless" -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=709s0O44Ois
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[countmeworthy]

UntoHim,
I am saddened to learn of the many heartaches you have been through, especially learning of your wife’s passing. We have all had heartaches and tragedies on different levels. While we don’t forget, I do know the Lord knows how to lessen the pain as we continue moving on with life.

Perhaps this senseless tragedy will bring the LC community not only in Sacramento but throughout the LR closer to Jesus, to one another and stop focusing their attention on the teachings of Lee. May they, we learn to extend God’s Love towards all Believers in Jesus Christ.

It is time the saints of the Most High God unite in Spirit and prayer. May we all learn how to be respectful, kind, and forgiving and truly caring towards one another.

God’s greatest commandment according to Jesus is to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your strength and with all your might.

The second one is to love your neighbor AS yourself.

These are exceedingly trying times on many levels.

[Nell]

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

[Nell]

I keep checking this website, Articles @ ShepherdingWords.Com, for some expression of care, concern, support, anything, for the Church in Sacramento. You would think that if ever there were a need for a few kind words from the LSM “shepherds”, it’s now.

Maybe they are helping out behind the scenes.

Nell

[JJ]

As one who gets Sacramento television stations, I too was shocked by the initial and follow up reports of this tragedy and wanted to be sensitive to those involved before weighing in here.
I really appreciated the prayerful and tender response of those who did weigh in here and thought a lot about what to say in response to the posts I’ve seen.
I think the best comfort we can derive from the Word for ourselves and other readers is that this murderous act was clearly something instigated by Satan himself for:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy the sheep, but Jesus has come that the sheep may have life, and have it in all its fullness (John 10:10).
Jesus called out those who lie (which the murderer obviously did to gain access to the meeting hall for a chaperoned visit with his daughters, hiding both his intent and weapon from the elder who chaperoned the visit), saying “You are of your father the devil, and you desire to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he might speak falsehood, he speaks from the own; for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44, Berrean Literal Bible)
Unfortunately the saints in the Church in Sacramento and its leaders have paid an incredibly steep price for not calling out this murderous, so called brother, for his sinfulness and doing the loving thing by stepping through the steps the Lord Jesus and His apostles called for in such situations.
This is a powerful lesson for us as well.
Let’s lay this murderous affair squarely where it belongs on Satan and not Jesus.
We can also stand on God’s promise in Romans 8:28 to make all things work together for good to those who love him and are called according to promise, even if we don’t understand the why’s and how’s of this matter now.

[sophitos]

I keep checking this website for some expression of care, concern, support, anything, for the Church in Sacramento. You would think that if ever there were a need for a few kind words from the LSM “shepherds”, it’s now. Maybe they are helping out behind the scenes.

It seems they are keeping it more private out of respect for the family. There was a memorial service recently in Sacramento for br. Kong.

[Ohio]

It seems they are keeping it more private out of respect for the family. There was a memorial service recently in Sacramento for br. Kong.

Is he Jonathan Kong’s brother?

[sophitos]

I do not know who that is, sorry - I doubt they are related though.

It is such a tragedy for the family. May the Lord shepherd the family through this loss.

[Letmesingtohim]

Is he Jonathan Kong’s brother?

Nathaniel was Jonathan's youngest child. And was one of the elders in Sacramento. He initially met the family outside a Walmart during a Bible distribution. Nathaniel and other saints shepherded the family for five years.

Rick Scatterday, and mental health professionals in the church provided counseling for four night. Each night to a different group. There was a online memorial in which Minoru addressed Sacramento and the surrounding Churches. He also spoke at the live memorial for the last 15 minutes this past Saturday. I attached the link. Minoru begins speaking at 3:59:00

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gcS-PA2yUqo

[Ohio]

Nathaniel was Jonathan's youngest child. And was one of the elders in Sacramento. He initially met the family outside a Walmart during a Bible distribution. Nathaniel and other saints shepherded the family for five years.

Rick Scatterday, and mental health professionals in the church provided counseling for four night. Each night to a different group. There was a online memorial in which Minoru addressed Sacramento and the surrounding Churches. He also spoke at the live memorial for the last 15 minutes this past Saturday. I attached the link. Minoru begins speaking at 3:59:00

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gcS-PA2yUqo

Thanks. Beautiful. So tragic.

[I tell the truth]

So two months later we have learned more from what was reported in the news. There were too many red flags that were ignored. But what happened, happened. The church has owned the property for a very longtime, but the elders are seriously considering selling the property. And, buying a new one. They're actively looking. The reason being that several saints refuse to meet and would just stick to meeting in the homes.

[Paul Vusik]

So two months later we have learned more from what was reported in the news.

Welcome to the forum, I tell the truth.

So, what is it that was “learned more”? Is there something that was told to the LC in the meetings? Is there an article you can link to your post that describes what you saying?

I have been to that locality hundreds of times, although I’m not from that specific location. I have once in the while check to see if something came out of ether the PD investigation or news, but really haven’t seen anything. It’s all hush-hush, kind of by design.

[Nell]

Welcome to the forum, I tell the truth.

So, what is it that was “learned more”? Is there something that was told to the LC in the meetings? Is there an article you can link to your post that describes what you saying?

I have been to that locality hundreds of times, although I’m not from that specific location. I have once in the while check to see if something came out of ether the PD investigation or news, but really haven’t seen anything. It’s all hush-hush, kind of by design.

The “learned more” is this:

… There were too many red flags that were ignored.
….the elders are seriously considering selling the property. And, buying a new one. They're actively looking.
….several saints refuse to meet and would just stick to meeting in the homes.

[Paul Vusik]

The “learned more” is this:

Ok, I digress.
We will just keep going with the hearsay, rather than anything official of sorts, since I don’t think that’s coming.

[I tell the truth]

In the LC, when you get a gospel contact, you don't just do Bible studies and then try to get them into the church. You really get involved into their lives. That was the case with Nathaniel and his family with the Mora family. And you get other saints to join. As mentioned at the memorial meeting, Nathaniel's wife said that David's oldest daughter was doing morning revival with her everyday and wanted to go to the FTTA one day.

Yes, Nathaniel cared and shepherded, but you need to have rational thinking and common sense when dealing with someone who is dangerous and a threat. Nathaniel was involved with the restraining order process as he was chosen as the mutual chaperone. We don't know if he experienced David's behavior before previously. But, he definitely did when he served David the restraining order on the church's back house brothers house. David was living on the church property because he became out of control and the family had to separate. The mother and the three daughters then lived with a sister in the church secretly.

David flipped screaming that he wanted to kill the girls' mother along with himself. Nathaniel had to call the police and David was held on a 5150 for two weeks. Nathaniel was not the only one who tried to shepherd David, other Spanish speaking brothers tried. One became so alarmed of David's profanity and temper that he went to a elder. That elder called a fellowship with other leading brothers and Nathaniel concluded that David didn't behave like that around him. Another Spanish brother who tried to shepherd David told elders unfortunately after the shooting that David before told him in Spanish that he wanted to kill the daughters' girlfriend. The other brothers who lived with David afterwards told the elders he had a profanity laced mouth and temper after the restraining order.

David had planned all along at sometime to do the shooting. He was arrested on a Wednesday. And sometime before Monday he was out on bail and had a assembled assault weapon. I doubt it was something he did out of desperation but had planned.

[Nell]

Thank you so much, I tell the truth, for this update. So very sad.

[I tell the truth]

So I have learned more regarding the situation but don't feel the need to share it. Just don't believe what you're always told. I'm going to however focus on the church's response to it.

By 9:00pm that Monday night two elders had gotten so many phone calls from the local media that they took down the website and made it dark. To cut off their contact information. Minoru the coworker that takes care of this area called a special fellowship the next morning at 8:00am. A media statement was crafted, how to handle the affected saints was discussed. The big one was reviewing their insurance policy in case the mother of the daughters tried suing the Church. At the prayer meetings saints were told not to talk to the media when at the memorial and not to talk and discuss more of the history of the troubled family amongst themselves. Not to even discuss what was reported in the news amongst themselves either.

Not much was mentioned about the three girls. Most of it has been about Nathaniel as he was one of the elders along with his two other brothers along with other elders. In fact, Nathaniel's dad was the first elder in San Francisco which was the first church in the country.

Mainly, what was said about Nathaniel was that he was a overcomer, because he preached the gospel and then tried shepherding gospel contacts to maturity as fruit. And, that he was able to do this because he himself was already mature. I don't need to repeat all that was said as many of you have heard the same old through out the years and I posted the link above earlier.

What was shared outside of that memorial was also from Minoru, he said Nathaniel was mature and a overcomer so God ended his course and took him to Himself. Minoru said that Nathaniel was too good because he was mature that the world didn't deserve him so God took him to Himself.

Rick Scatterday, in another portion said that Nathaniel was a overcomer also and he was martyred because the end times is near and that God needs one group overcomers which is the man child, dead mature ones first. Further, he said more mature will begin to die tragically, not naturally.

The church mainly tried to make this a positive. However, the elders most likely will be pressured to sell because a number of saints refuse to meet again in the meeting hall. And said they will instead just do group home meetings. And to close, most saints don't know what happened in Sacramento unless they saw it in the news. Or you're in the Sacramento, bay area region. Or a coworker or elder. What happened was not spread across the recovery among the churches.

[Paul Vusik]

I guess all those “godmen”, even have access to the books of live, to know who the overcomers are and who is not. They sure make it sound very convincing.

On the other hand, taking down the website, instructing everyone to keep quiet, makings sure the insurance is in place so the money don’t run out, and just kind of ignoring the 3 children that are died, but uplifting one of their own, all sound like an egotistical, self image centered, “let no crisis go to waste” operation. Disgusting, if not worse! These people have no conscience or feel any shame!

And finally, I just couldn’t go without mentioning this: I guess the good overcomers only exist in the LC, that are way too good for this world, because I highly doubt that anyone that dies by any means outside of the LC, will ever receive such title. It most likely will be, “that’s what you get for leaving the ground of oneness, good luck in the 1000 years of darkness”

[Ohio]

So I have learned more regarding the situation but don't feel the need to share it. Just don't believe what you're always told. I'm going to however focus on the church's response to it.

By 9:00pm that Monday night two elders had gotten so many phone calls from the local media that they took down the website and made it dark. To cut off their contact information. Minoru the coworker that takes care of this area called a special fellowship the next morning at 8:00am. A media statement was crafted, how to handle the affected saints was discussed. The big one was reviewing their insurance policy in case the mother of the daughters tried suing the Church. At the prayer meetings saints were told not to talk to the media when at the memorial and not to talk and discuss more of the history of the troubled family amongst themselves. Not to even discuss what was reported in the news amongst themselves either.

Lawsuits. Lawsuits. Lawsuits.

That’s the first thing that comes to their mind.

[Paul Vusik]

At the prayer meetings saints were told not to talk to the media when at the memorial and not to talk and discuss more of the history of the troubled family amongst themselves. Not to even discuss what was reported in the news amongst themselves either.


I’m not a lawyer or anything, but as far as I know, when you tell people who might have seen, been around, or even know details about the family to stay quite and don’t discuss anything, or disclose some maybe known facts to the people that are trying to find out details, wouldn’t that fall under the category of witness tampering? Are these people even aware? Isn’t there still ongoing investigation?