Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries passes

He had succumbed to the strain of the pain he had been enduring for the past few years.

This sentence seemed odd!

Pathos has more

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/tonyjones/2014/10/01/ken-silva-has-died/

http://apprising.org/2011/08/29/trouble-in-fundamentalist-paradise-si/

the language "succumb to the strain of the pain" could be interpreted to indicate that he committed suicide. 

John,
I wondered the same thing. It definitely seemed like a strange thing to say.

It could be suicide, but if real, physical pain were involved, it could simply be something to do with the dosage of painkillers he might have needed--accidental overdose, overstress of heart/liver/other organs by the painkillers, etc..  Or if it were emotional stress, that can bring on any number of conditions, too.

Quite frankly, I'm hoping that it's "one of the other", because I'm under the impression that the suicide of a spiritual leader can wreak havoc on those he served.