Guatemalan Seventh-day Adventists are mourning the loss of a minister after he was gunned down in Guatemala's southern region February 26.

Erick Cerritos (33), a native of Guatemala, was travelling in his car with his family when he was intercepted by another car and shot several times.

Cerritos, who had spent more than a decade serving as a minister in the neighbouring country of Honduras, is the latest victim in a string of escalating violence the church in Guatemala has experienced.

"This is a terrible tragedy brought out by the unstoppable violence here in Guatemala hitting our Adventist family these last few months. Investigators believe the incident might have been a case of mistaken identity," said Juan Lopez, Communication director for the Adventist Church in Central Guatemala.

Lopez reports that more than 120 Adventists have been affected by violence since the beginning of 2008. "There have been 12 church members murdered, 100 extortions and 10 kidnappings by gang members and drug traffickers throughout the country," he said.

Lopez explained that the Mexican government has recently intensified its fight against drug trafficking. Many cartels have crossed the southern border into Guatemala and brought their operations and violence with them.

Adventist Church leaders and members gathered for a memorial service in Guatemala City the day after the murder. Cerritos's body was later transported to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where hundreds gathered February 28 for a special service.

"We are still in shock in Honduras," said Walter Ciguenza, Communication director for the church's Mid-Central American region, headquartered in Honduras.

"This has hit our church very hard," said Ciguenza, who explained that in the more than 10 years he has served in Honduras nothing like this has ever hit the church so hard.

More than 800 people crowded the Comayaguela Adventist Church in Tegucigalpa during a memorial service for the late pastor. More people followed the radio broadcast of the program. Cerritos was remembered for his dedicated pastoral leadership in the districts of Rio Grande, La Hacienda and La Era in Honduras.

Winston Simpson, Ministerial Association secretary for the Adventist church in Mid-Central America, spoke of the great loss to his pastoral team and offered words of hope to those mourning. "We are saddened for losing Pastor Cerritos," said Simpson. "We must continue in faith in finishing the work God has called us to do."

Cerritos pursued his theology degree from the Adventist University in Costa Rica and obtained a master's degree in pastoral ministry from the Inter-American Theological Seminary in 2007. He is survived by his wife and three-year-old daughter.

Meanwhile, leaders in Guatemala continue to be concerned with the safety of their members. Just a day after the memorial, a pastor who had finished preaching was violently assaulted and treated for a cut to his head requiring 10 stitches.

Lopez said that churches in Guatemala are planning to organize a nationwide march against violence in the coming weeks. (With news input of Adventist News Network/ANN)