Christians are being encouraged to pray for the family of a US pastor who was murdered on Sunday outside his church.

Pastor Joe Moore, 65, was walking towards his car after teaching a Bible study at the Upper Room Christian Church in Compton, California when he was attacked at 11.50am.

He suffered a gunshot wound to his chest and was declared dead at the scene.

Speaking to the “Edifi With Billy Hallowell” podcast, the pastor’s daughter, Daney Moore described the shooting as “senseless” and said that her family was struggling to cope with the news.

“It’s something we can’t process. It was so unexpected. It was so senseless,” she said. “My heart is broken.”

The family had just buried an uncle who had died of natural causes and a 27-year-old grandniece who had also been fatally shot.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the pastor was the intended target, but no clear motive has been established.

Various members of the family have described Pastor Joe as a “man of God” and said he would be the first one to forgive those responsible.

“One thing my daddy did preach and teach on was forgiveness. He always lived by the motto, ‘What would Jesus do?'” she said. “He said, ‘Jesus forgave His enemies and we have to forgive ours.’ … We have to forgive people to be free,” Daney said.

She continued: “My daddy was a loving and funny man. He was just a non-confrontational soul who … wanted to make sure that everybody was saved, everybody accepted the Lord,” she said. “Any way he could find to tell you about God, he would.”

The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay funeral expenses for the pastor.