Thousands attended a memorial service for murdered missionary Lance Gersbach May 20, at the Kukum Seventh-day Adventist Church in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

A business manager at Atoifi Adventist Hospital, Gersbach was murdered May 18 in Malaita.

He left Australia for Malaita with his family on Feb. 11, agreeing to serve at Atoifi for 12 months.

A suspect has been arrested by police in the Solomon Islands. The suspect’s name and details about the murder are unknown at this time.

The church, in cooperation with the Australian High Commission in the Solomons, has charted a plane to bring Lance’s wife, Jean, and their two daughters to the capital, Honiara. The church is also sending a counselor to Honiara.

“The news has shocked us,” says Bronwyn Mison, communication director for the church in the South Pacific. “We’re doing all we can to support Lance’s family and the staff members at Atoifi.

“Lance had a keen interest in helping others,” she adds. “He served at our former Sopas Adventist Hospital in Papua New Guinea for three years.”

Dr. Barry Oliver, general secretary for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific, says, “The church is in a state of shock. To family, collegues and staff at Atoifi Hospital, we pledge ourselves at this time to give all that is needed. They are in our prayers.”

“Lance loved his family to bits,” says Ray Southon, Gersbach’s brother-in-law. “He just loved people. He was community-minded, and we will remember his commitment to serving those who were not as fortunate as he was.”

Alfred Sasako, member of parliament for East Kwaio on Malaita, described the death of Gersbach as an “evil killing” and an “attack on the very heart of the people of East Kwaio.”

“I wish to convey our sympathies and condolences to Lance’s wife and children,” says Sasako. “Their loss is our loss; their pain, our pain.”

The church was established in Atoifi in 1965. The 80-bed hospital serves the eastern half of Malaita.