Cornerstone Church Lead Pastor Mark Vance grieved the death of two college students who were shot dead by a man who also killed himself afterward in the church's parking lot last week.
During their Sunday service, Vance spent time processing the tragedy before God and with the church members. He prayed with the congregants, saying they don't have to act as if nothing wrong happened. The pastor called the tragedy the "worst day in the life of Cornerstone Church," condemning the act of violence that transpired in the church area.
Vance announced that instead of celebrating the first full week of summer, they will be holding the funerals of Flores and Montang at the Cornerstone Church main auditorium this Thursday.
The pastor narrated that the victims named Vivian Flores, 21, and her friend Eden Montang, 22, were at the church to take part in The Salt Company, a student-led worship ministry for college students. Around 6:50 p.m. at the church parking lot, Montang and Flores were shot dead by Jonathan Lee Whitlatch using his Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol before killing himself too with the weapon.
The Des Moines Register reported that Montang and Whitlatch, who both worked in the Iowa National Guard Unit, had recently broken their romantic connection. Authorities had captured Whitlatch days before the incident for allegedly hounding Montang, but freed him after paying bond.
Church Process The Grief Together
Vance couldn't find a word to describe his grief, explaining that it's like known deep grief. "It's like the bottom fell out of your world," he said. Vance remembered the ladies as devout Christian who actively participated in a connection group at The Salt company.
He felt incredibly unhappy about the violence that took place at an "innocent place" like The Salt Company. Vance also expressed his anguish for the "precious people" who had died, telling people that he's crying every time he remembers it.
The pastor was in the middle of an elder's meeting in the church when he was notified about the incident in the church parameters. Together with Ames Police Department, Commander Jason Tuttle, who's also an elder in training within the church responded first to the incident, then the rest of the attendees of the meeting followed him.
It was evident right away to him that something dreadful had occurred. When he arrived and glanced around, he noticed Salt Company students giving chest compressions before the medical personnel arrived, rather than walking into Salt. While other students and staff ran for their safety. The pastor said they wished they had never witnessed the incident or somehow unsee it.
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Family's Remembrance of Loved Ones
The day after the tragedy, during a prayer service in the church, Montang's father, Terry Montang, commended his late daughter's faith. According to The Ames Tribune, he said that he was a proud father to Montang, saying that his daughter died for her faith. He remembered her being a devout Christian. "I'm not sure what more there is to say than she is with the Lord," he said
While Flores's siblings remembered their sister for her active involvement with Valley Church's student ministry and her study of the Bible every day. Her fraternal twin, Valerie Flores said "She used to say, 'First one to Heaven wins.' There's no doubt in my head that she's in Heaven."
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