2011 Retailers Choice Award winner! Rebecca never felt safe as a child. In 1969, her father, Robert Nichols, moved to Sellerstown, North Carolina, to serve as a pastor. There he found a small, southern community eager to welcome him―with one exception. Glaring at him from pew number seven was a man obsessed with controlling the church. Determined to get rid of anyone who stood in his way, he unleashed a plan of terror that was more devastating and violent than the Nichols family could have ever imagined. Refusing to be driven away by acts of intimidation, Rebecca’s father stood his ground until one night when an armed man walked into the family’s kitchen . . . And Rebecca’s life was shattered. If anyone had a reason to harbor hatred and seek personal revenge, it would be Rebecca. Yet The Devil in Pew Number Seven tells a different story. In this unforgettable memoir, she shares: A harrowing testimony of God’s grace amidst hardships and grief - A firsthand account of astounding mercy in the face of betrayal - An inspirational reminder of the redemption and healing only Christ can bring This is the amazing true story of relentless persecution, one family’s faith and courage in the face of it, and a daughter whose parents taught her the power of forgiveness. “When the Lord gets ready for me to leave this church, He won’t send the message by the devil.” ―Robert Nichols, 1975 Rebecca never felt safe as a child. In 1969, her father, Robert Nichols, moved with his family to Sellerstown, North Carolina, to serve as a pastor. There he found a small community eager to welcome him . . . with one exception. Glaring at him from pew number seven was a man obsessed with controlling the church and determined to get rid of anyone who stood in his way. The first time the Nichols family received a harassing phone call, they dismissed it. The same went for the anonymous letter that threatened they’d leave “crawling or walking . . . dead or alive.” But what they couldn’t ignore was the strategy of terror their tormentor unleashed, more devastating and violent than they could have ever imagined. Refusing to be driven away, Rebecca’s father stood his ground until one night when an armed man walked into the family’s kitchen . . . and Rebecca’s life was shattered. If anyone had reason to harbor hatred and seek personal revenge, it would be Rebecca. Yet The Devil in Pew Number Seven tells a different story. It is the amazing, true saga of relentless persecution, one family’s faith and courage in the face of it, and a daughter whose parents taught her the power of forgiveness. The Devil in Pew Number Seven A TRUE STORY By Rebecca Nichols Alonzo Bob DeMoss Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Copyright © 2010 Rebecca N. Alonzo All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4143-2659-7 Contents AUTHOR'S NOTE...........................................IX1. WALKING, CRAWLING, DEAD OR ALIVE.....................12. ONCE UPON A DREAM....................................53. SHOTGUN JUSTICE IN SELLERSTOWN.......................234. THE DEVIL'S IN PEW NUMBER SEVEN......................395. UNDER SIEGE..........................................576. NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP...........................757. THE TOUGHEST GUY IN TOWN.............................938. HOLDING ON TO HOPE...................................1139. HEARING VOICES.......................................12910. BLACK THURSDAY......................................14711. UNANSWERED PRAYERS..................................16712. EIGHT MEN AND FOUR WOMEN............................18913. PUTTING THE DEVIL ON TRIAL..........................20714. LIFE IS HARD, BUT GOD IS GOOD.......................22515. NO APOLOGIES IN HEAVEN.............................243AFTERWORD...............................................261ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.........................................265PHOTO CAPTIONS..........................................272ENDNOTES................................................273 Chapter One Walking, Crawling, Dead or Alive I ran. My bare feet pounding the pavement were burning from the sun-baked asphalt. Each contact between flesh and blacktop provoked bursts of pain as if I were stepping on broken glass. The deserted country road, stretching into the horizon, felt as if it were conspiring against me. No matter how hard I pushed myself, the safe place I was desperate to reach eluded me. Still, I ran. Had a thousand angry hornets been in pursuit, I couldn't have run any faster. Daddy's instructions had been simple: I had to be a big girl, run down the street as fast as my legs could carry me, and get help. There was nothing complicated about his request. Except for the fact that I'd have to abandon my hiding place under the kitchen table and risk being seen by the armed madman who had barricaded himself with two hostages in my bedroom down the hall. I knew, however, that ignoring Daddy's plea was out of the question. And so I ran. Even thoug