Hundreds mourn missionaries gunned down in Arvada

By Todd Hartman, Rocky Mountain News (Contact), Lisa Ryckman, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Originally published 10:36 a.m., December 12, 2007
Updated 01:33 p.m., December 12, 2007

Photo by Judy DeHaas

In the center Travis Johnson is comforted by his aunt Perry Raspi while his fiance Rachel looks on as they look at photos of Tiffany Johnson, 26, of Minnesota, who was shot and killed. They were attending a memorial service Wednesday, conducted by Faith Bible Chapel for the victims of gunman Matthew Murray.

Tiffany Johnson, 26, identified as one of two people shot and killed at the Youth With a Mission in Arvada, is pictured on her MySpace page.

Philip Crouse was shot and kllled early Sunday at the Youth With A Mission campus in Arvada, police said.

Amid joyful music and tears, hundreds of mourners in Arvada today remembered two young people gunned down at a missionary school Sunday by a troubled former student.

Youth With A Mission members came from as far away as Australia, England and Morocco for the service honoring Tiffany Johnson, 26, of Minnesota, and Philip Crouse, 24, of Alaska.

Tiffany and Phil are "rejoicing" in heaven now, the Rev. George Morrison assured mourners filling the 2,800-seat church on the Faith Bible Chapel campus adjacent to the missionary school known as YWAM.

"They're going to come back when Jesus returns, and we're all going to be together again as a family."

Those gathered, including Colorado First Lady Jeannie Ritter and Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien, celebrated the victims' lives with photographic slide shows, prayers and tributes by loved ones.

Friends and family remembered Tiffany Johnson as a devoted Christian with a child-like love of life and a passion for travel. They saw her as someone who spurned material possessions - once literally giving away the sweater off her back to a friend who admired it.

They stressed her capacity for forgiveness.

"I believe she would want us to forgive" her killer, Matthew Murray, said Tiffany's uncle, Andy Johnson.

Johnson also reached out to the Murray family.

"The Murray family is hurting," he said, extending his family's concern. "They did nothing wrong."

"There is no place for shame and condemnation for those who love Christ Jesus," he added.

"I just want to say to you that we feel your pain. We know you have lost along with us. We pray you could live your head high and know Jesus is with you."

An unidentified young woman cried, recounting what she would miss about Tiffany.

"I hate that you won't get to be a bridesmaid at my wedding," the friend said. "I hate that your number will never again appear on my caller ID.

"I pray that you're having a rock-and-roll dance party with the angels," the friend concluded.

Loved ones choked recalling Phil Crouse's transformation from an angry, brooding young man to a committed Christian missionary-in-training.

"He exchanged dark imaginings for Bible study and evangelical zeal," said one of Phil's uncles.

Jesse Ferguson, Crouse's YWAM roommate, said: "He loved people. He loved to be around people. He loved to be a servant to people."

The dead man's father, Eugene Crouse, praised the YWAM community and Arvada police for their support in the tragedy's aftermath.

"The overwhelming support I received was more than I could ever imagine," the father said.

"Phil gave his life to Jesus Christ" when he arrived at YWAM, said another unidentified young man. "He had some rough edges he needed to work out. Over the years Phil became a humble, sweet guy."

Peter Warren, director of the Arvada school, told the somber crowd: "YWAM is a worldwide family. And Philip and Tiffany were a part of our family."

About a dozen Arvada police officers stood guard outside the church, a sign of the jittery concerns about security in wake of the cross-state rampage against two Christian centers by the gunman.

In the vestibule before the service, YWAM students exchanged hugs and words of support as they wrote remembrances to Tiffany and Philip in scrapbooks that will be given to the slain young people's families.

The shootings occurred about midnight Sunday just hours after YWAM students had completed a Christmas celebration.

Murray, 24, angry after washing out of the missionary program in 2002, knocked on the center door and asked if he could spend the night.

Murray opened fire after Johnson, the hospitality director, told him the center was not a shelter and had no place where he could stay.

Dan Griebenow, 24, of South Dakota, and Charlie Blanch, 22, were wounded.

• December 12, 2007

  1:17 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Ottis writes:

  Why was there "tight security"? What is it about this church that requires an armed security guard in the church (who was, in at least one printed story, called by the senior pastor a "personal bodyguard")and now tight security at a funeral?

• December 12, 2007

  2:18 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  CalebTGL writes:

  Otis: I think you may be combining two different incidents. The security guards were involved at the second crime scene near Colorado Springs. This story is about those affected by the first crime-scene in Arvada.

• December 12, 2007

  2:51 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Finn writes:

  You're definitely thinking of the Colorado Springs church. This is a different church. However, Otis, wasn't your question pretty emphatically answered this past Sunday?

• December 12, 2007

  3:13 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Ottis writes:

  The article no longer says "Among tight security." Now it says "joyful music and tears."