The Devil In Pew Number Seven Analysis

Rebecca Nichols Alonzo, author of “The Devil in Pew Number Seven”, spent part of her childhood just seven miles from my home. The years that she endured in Sellerstown, NC were filled with threats, fear, violence, and eventually death. Her father, Robert Nichols, was a pastor and moved the family to the small community in 1969. Harassing phone calls, threatening letters, and events became part of their life. After looking through the list of books, I chose “The Devil in Pew Number Seven” because of the connection it has to Columbus County.
In 1969 Robert and Ramona Nichols moved to the small community of Sellerstown, North Carolina. They had hopes and plans to build a family and life in this wonderful town while doing the work that the

Watts, the man behind all the the hatred, wasn’t use to making decisions as a group; he made decisions as it was best for him. Mr. Watts didn’t like the fact that Mr. Nichols now made the decisions for the church. He was used to making them. When all of the threats and violence started Pastor Nichols said, “When the Lord gets ready for me to leave this church, He won’t send the message by the devil”. I really liked this quote because it allowed me to see Mr. Nichols not just as a pastor but also as a man who wouldn’t be forced from his home. A man of courage at all costs. Another quote that I liked and felt was “powerful” and I felt really pushed Mr. Watts to his breaking point was, “They are not Christian people. I know who they are. I know they are violent, mean-spirited people. I will only leave this church if it is the Lord’s will. And if it is the enemy’s will for us to leave, then it is God’s will for us to stay”. My favorite quote from the book was, “forgiveness is the language to heaven”. I think this is one of the most important quotes of the book because even though Mr. Watts did terrible things to the Nichols family they still forgave him because it was the right thing to do. All three of these quotes can be applied to life today. People face persecution of different types every single day. They have to be brave, strong, and committed to their calling to withstand the threats and possible danger that they may face in today’s society. We also have to be willing to forgive those who have done us wrong, no matter how terrible the crime. Holding on to hatred and resentment will only make us a prisoner in our own life. This is what I believe Rebecca Nichols Alfonzo knew and how her parents raised her. She forgave the man behind the threats and violence and the man who pulled the trigger that killed her mother, Harris