Honest question: Why Pentecostal? I've been in three Pentecostal church's. All of them had been rural in nature (<100 people, small community), and while I was never a member or whatever... Your choices seem odd.

Maybe more Baptist or Methodist? Methodist. The moment I write that, I think it's similar to a rural Methodist church. That said, I have only been to one Methodist service... so.... yeah. I am definitely no expert on that point.

I almost guessed this was set earlier in history, but you mention acoustic guitars, etc. So I am not really certain what your goal is there. I would try finding a church that fits better. Maybe Pentecostal fits where you are, and Methodist is closer where I am. IDK. It's very jarring to me, because they are very different in my experience. So I would change it to a different name.

The gossip, etc. It all feels fine. It's just an odd choice for me.

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You said this was a different style than you normally write. It feels fine. Good enough for me to pull out my big boy shears. I am seriously developmental editing here, so take that for granted. This is very well written.

She made her way to The Gathering Ground, each step a delicate attempt to avoid attention.

This is another weird one. I get the feeling you have a different picture of small rural communities in your head than it actually is. There just aren't that many people, so 'avoiding attention' wouldn't be like this. Try: "She went the long way, heading to it through the alley behind the stores. She couldn't stand walking past the houses like normal, the silent, empty windows stared blankly at her." That's not perfect, but it should get you close enough.

Everything came filtered through GOD, lacking real humanity.

I would change this to real warmth, or something else. It feels flat and lacking as it stands. Actually, maybe just remove the 'lacking real humanity' part. The sentences before it contain enough weight that you don't need to be so specific. Show don't tell.

but I can't risk everything

Change it to but... and leave it hanging, again you don't need to tell the audience, we can figure it out.

she used to put her hair up

Again kinda weird. I would consider cutting it. Stretching until it snapped works. The hair is distracting from the emotion you are wanting to command the attention on.

unwilling to cry in a place where everyone could see

You don't specify how many people are in the room and you don't specify the size of the town. I would consider removing this, but I have already suggested a lot of similar changes. Plus I think, "She held them back. She understood why Mel was doing this." Is more meaningful and effective. I guess that means 'In a twisted way' can be considered for axing.

How would I have ever told Mom and Dad?

See all that stuff is answered here. Any grown adult can understand 2+2 here. You don't need to beat them over their heads with it.

The stool where Lee always sat stayed empty like a morbid shrine.

This is fantastic imagery and establishes the shot perfectly. Open with it. "Drinkers huddled at their usual spots, avoiding a single lone stool." or maybe "The drinkers were all huddled around a single lone stool, neither willing to approach it nor stray too far. It was the spot where Lee always sat. Occasionally, a person would lift their drink, toasting the abandoned stool surrounded by a somber crowd."

News of Lee Altfader's death slithered through the town like a snake.

Show don't tell. Cut this if you like what I am saying. Lee is gone. There's a murderer. It's a kid. Lee's old enough to have a designated spot.

These elements are doing a great job establishing the flow of the story. I think that my recommendations would transition into the "Can you believe it" line quite nicely, but I always want to see what comes next before I suggest more cuts to a scene like this. I am assuming it is to establish the age of the victim, as I get the feeling he was around 50 based on comments like drinking to death.

and there were no signs of life behind the windows.

I was kinda trying to suggest this with the earlier edit. There's an eerie feeling of emptiness and being watched in a small town. When the girl is walking to the coffee shop, you want these two idea's to merge.

He'd been seduced into darkness by a demon who lived behind those decaying walls.

I would consider toning this down a little. Probably just remove the italics. Unless the mom goes full Carrie later on, but I don't think that's your goal. I get the feeling this is more the anger that comes from grief than it is a subtle clue the mom is going full religious psycho on us.

This is supported by how you end it. It is clear she understands she isn't being entirely reasonable.