Sunday, February 5, 2012

The Devil in Pew Number Seven


Ramona and Robert Nichols moved to Sellerstown, North Carolina in 1969 where Robert would be the pastor of the Free Welcome Holiness Church. All seemed well for the Nichols, yet in the church, in pew seven, an adversary was beginning his plot to end the Nichols' time of blissful service of Jesus and his church. Mr. Watts had spent years controlling the church and community. When his control of the church slipped through his fingers while support for the new pastor grew, Mr. Watts unleashed a plan of terror on the young family. He sent threatening letters and disrupted worship services. Bombs being detonated on the parsonage property within feet of the parsonage on multiple occasions, causing windows to break from the blasts.
Even though the whole community knew Mr. Watts was behind it all, law enforcement couldn't collect evidence enough for an arrest, one reason being he always hired others to do his dirty work.
Just before Easter 1978, the terror came to a head when an angry man with a gun entered the Nichols home. Shots were fired and young Rebecca, age 7, witnessed this tragic end of years of torment. Sadly, Rebecca still carried the scars from this dark day in her life and many dark days followed. The Devil in Pew Number Seven is her story. Now in her 40's and with a family of her own, Rebecca Nichols Alonzo shares her journey through the valley of death and into the light on the other side.
The Devil in Pew Number Seven is a beautiful example of how "we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Rebecca Nichols Alonzo shares her life and offers help and hope for those who have endured deep pain in their lives. This book shows how faith is an anchor when stormy seas abound and what it means to cling to the old rugged cross when there is a devil in pew number seven.
(A free copy of this book was provided by Tyndale Publishers in exchange for an honest review.)