A Minnesota woman has been arrested in Angola on suspicion of murdering her husband, a missionary serving in the African nation, according to their church.
Authorities have taken Jackie Shroyer into custody in connection with the death of her husband, 44-year-old missionary and former pastor Beau Shroyer.
“Today, our grief and sadness has deepened immeasurably as we’ve learned that his wife, Jackie Shroyer, has been arrested in connection with his death,” wrote Lead Pastor Troy M. Easton of Lakes Area Vineyard Church in a statement released to the congregation, as reported by Fox 9.
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The church, located in Minnesota, had previously announced that Beau was killed in a “violent, criminal attack” on Oct. 25 while on mission work in Angola.
The Shroyers moved to Angola in 2021 with their five children to serve as missionaries with SIM USA, a North Carolina-based Evangelical organization.
According to the church’s statement, they aimed to teach residents about Christianity and God’s love in a “remote bush village” without electricity.
Before their missionary work in Angola, Beau served as a pastor at Lakes Area Vineyard Church and had a background in law enforcement, having worked for the Detroit Lakes Police Department in 2013, according to the Detroit Lakes Tribune. He also worked as a real estate agent prior to moving abroad.
The couple’s five children are being “well cared for,” and the church is collaborating with SIM USA and SIM Angola to ensure their continued safety and well-being, according to Easton’s statement.
SIM USA’s Chief Personnel Officer and General Counsel Mark Bosscher told the Tribune that the organization “has taken steps to ensure that Jackie has appropriate legal representation.” He added that they are “working closely” with Lakes Area Vineyard Church to “care for the Shroyers’ five children.”
In the days leading up to his death, Beau shared glimpses of his missionary work on social media.
Last Thursday, he posted on Facebook about meeting a young student named Mauricio, who walked long distances to attend school. “One of the reasons that the Nyneka people, who we are serving, are among the most marginalized people groups in Angola was a lack of access to education,” he wrote. “Please pray for Mauricio and others like him who spend half of their day walking to school and back.”
Another post mentioned his agricultural efforts, saying he had spent the day “spreading manure by hand over a 40×16 meter agricultural plot.”
Authorities in Angola have not released details about how his wife is connected to the incident. Fox 9 reported that authorities have not disclosed whether any charges are pending.
The church has requested privacy for its members and announced adjustments to their Sunday services to “honor the needs of our community at this time.” Easton said they are preparing to handle media inquiries by pointing back to the official statement.
SIM USA, which focuses on spreading the Gospel in difficult-to-reach areas, said in a previous statement that “Beau and Jackie Shroyer, together with their five children, were some of the first missionaries to begin service with SIM USA after the COVID lockdowns eased. They have brought a faithful, energetic, growing, loving aroma of Christ into our family,” Randy Fairman, president of SIM USA.”
Beau Shroyer had earlier 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 under attack from criminals which affected the property they were trying to develop.
At the top of a list of needs for the property he presented to Country Faith Church was the need to build a perimeter wall and hire more security.
The late pastor said the orange farm next to the property of the youth ministry installed an electrified, 10-foot high razor wire fence and hired about 50 guards to protect the farm day and night but they still struggled with crime in the area.
