Wife of pastor killed on African mission arrested in connection with death: 'Giant shock'

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The wife of a Minnesota pastor who was killed while on a missionary trip with his family in Africa has been arrested, while a former close friend of the victim tells Fox News Digital that the pastor was a "wonderful person" who "genuinely cared about those less privileged."

Beau Shroyer, 44, a former pastor of Lakes Area Vineyard Church, moved his wife and five children to Angola in 2021 to become missionaries, but he was killed in a tragic "act of violence" in Angola on Oct. 25, Lakes Area Vineyard Church Lead Pastor Troy Easton announced last week. 

Easton has now revealed that Shroyer’s wife, Jackie, has been arrested in connection with his death, although he did not provide any more details in regard to the circumstances.

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Pastor Beau Shroyer with his wife and children. (Lakes Area Vineyard Church)

"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," Easton wrote in an undated statement released by the church. "I love you very much and I am heartbroken and in shock that I need to send this type of update to you. I’m so sorry and simply do not have words to express my disbelief and sorrow about this news." 

Easton wrote that the missionaries there — SIM USA and SIM Angola — are caring for the couple’s five children. 

"This is unimaginable, and yet it is very real. As a community we must cry out to the Lord for his grace, mercy and comforting presence for the Shroyer children and family," Easton wrote.

Shroyer previously described the area that the family moved to as a "remote bush village" with no electricity, sewer or water systems. In a Facebook post on the day before his death, Shroyer wrote that the Nyneka people they were serving "are among the most marginalized people groups in Angola," after he came across a young person called "Mauricio" who was walking to school nearly two hours before class started. 

"They lack access to education. One of our ministry center['s] goals is to provide vocational training to young men like Mauricio [to] get training that will help them to get a job," Shroyer wrote. "Mauricio is in 10th grade and probably 19 or 20 years old. He’s one of the few from this area who attend school past elementary level."

Pastor Beau Shroyer getting a haircut in Africa. (Beau Shroyer via Facebook)

Days earlier, Shroyer posted photos and videos of people spreading manure by hand over on an agricultural plot before he wrote he was going to repair the roof of their shelter. He also posted a picture of himself smiling getting a haircut from a local barber for 32 cents. 

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Shroyer worked for the Detroit Lakes Police Department in 2013 before becoming a real estate agent in the area, according to the outlet.

David Dorman, who worked with Beau Shroyer in real estate for years before Shroyer decided to leave for Africa, said everyone close to the family is in shock to learn of Beau’s death and the arrest of his wife. 

"Beau was a wonderful person. Not sure I’ve ever met a more selfless human," Dorman told Fox News Digital. "The courage it took to take this leap to begin with was something I’ve admired for years. He loved people and genuinely cared about those less privileged. It’s been a giant shock to the core to see this unfold this way."

Dorman said Beau’s passion to help those less well-off was prevalent even in the real estate industry, where the pair worked on several complex and difficult transactions together.

"Beau was special. Beau went the extra mile for clients… He was a true partner and loved what he did. His attitude was infectious and I genuinely loved working with him," said Dorman, who added he would often drive for three hours to meet Beau for closings and have a meal together afterward. 

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Pastor Beau Shroyer in an SUV with children sitting on the vehicle's roof. (Beau Shroyer via Facebook)

"He was one of the true ‘good guys’ in real estate. This is far less common than you might think. I’ve been doing this for 13 years and he stood out for all the right reasons. A true servant in a sea of snakes. 100% a client advocate. The lengths I watched him go to for his clients was something of legend. No one went the extra mile more than him."

Dorman said that Beau personally helped people who lacked help to move and would often forgo his commission to help a deal get to the finish line. 

"I watched him tear down trees, demolish sheds, remove left-over trash and so much more just to help his clients get settled. The list is almost endless. The earth suffered a big loss with his passing. People this good just aren’t aplenty," Dorman said.

Dorman said that Beau adored his wife and children, and he wasn’t surprised to learn that Beau had decided to leave the United States for Africa, knowing that his faith in God was "really strong." Dorman said Beau gave up a tremendously successful real estate business to serve in a Third World country. 

"It was the definition of brave and selfless. Beau made people want to be a better version of themselves. Not by force, but by example. I aspire to be more like him," Dorman said.

He said that Beau would give regular email updates about their mission, highlighting the ups and downs, some of which Dorman shared with Fox News Digital.

"We are currently living in a house in the missionary complex in Lubango. It’s a big change from living in the middle of the neighborhood Senhora Do Monte," an email update from April reads. He said the family at the time was "settled in and loving it," and also mentioned they were returning to Detroit Lakes over the summer and planned to speak at several churches. 

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Beau also wrote of the "extreme poverty" in the area and that he was working at soup nights. He was also teaching English classes in their home three days a week to Christian teens and young adults. 

"I currently have seven students and about a million more asking to join!" he wrote.