Former White Sox Player-Turned-Pastor Loses Wife and Leg in Deadly Crash; Now Fighting for His Life
Thousands of congregants at Glad Tidings Church in Spring Township, Pennsylvania, are now praying for their longtime pastor Bryan Koch, a former catcher and first baseman with the Chicago White Sox, after a deadly motorcycle accident took the life of his wife, Lynn, and severed one of his legs. He is currently fighting for his life in a local hospital.
Local police explained in a WFMZ report that the beloved couple were riding on their shared motorcycle in Bern Township at about 6 p.m. Sunday when they collided with an SUV. Lynn was killed on the spot and Bryan was rushed to Reading Hospital where he was listed in critical condition.
"It is with a heavy heart that we need to pass on the information that pastor Lynn went to be with Jesus as a result of a motorcycle accident this evening. Pastor Bryan was also involved and is in ICU and currently in surgery," the church, which is affiliated with the Assemblies of God, revealed in a Facebook post late Sunday night.
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"Please continue to pray for healing for pastor Bryan and for strength and comfort for the family," it added.
In an update on the church's website Tuesday morning, the church ask for further prayers for their surviving pastor as he prepared for critical surgery slated for Tuesday evening. It also appears that he has not yet been informed of his wife's death.
"Please pray for the following: pastor Bryan will be having surgery on his abdominal area today sometime between 1 and 5 p.m. Continue to pray for strength for pastor Bryan's lungs today," began the update.
"Be in prayer for pastor Bryan as he recovers and becomes aware of his situation and of Lynn's passing. We continue to be overwhelmed by the love and support of people from around the globe and are encouraged to know that people are praying from all of the corners of the world," the update ended.
Another update from Brad Egolf on the church's Facebook page revealed that pastor Bryan Koch had lost one of his legs.
"Dear friends, most of you have heard by now that our pastor and good friend Bryan Koch and his wife, Lynn, were in a terrible motorcycle accident this past Sunday. Lynn was killed and Bryan lost his leg above the knee and is having surgery today to repair his abdomen. I am inviting you to join myself, Marianne Egolf and Kevin Egolf tomorrow night at GT Church from 7 to 8 p.m. for a night of prayer. 'Find rest, O my soul, in God alone: my Hope comes from Him — Psalms 62:5," he wrote.
Executive Pastor Scott Kramer told WFMZ that the beloved couple had been serving at the church for nearly three decades. Pastor Bryan has served in his role as lead pastor for 27 years while Lynn was ordained as a minister in May of this year.
"They were dearly loved. They served with their whole hearts. They served people, they loved people," said Kramer. "We're getting a lot of concern [from] all over the globe right now," he added about the couple who have three sons together.
According to the Glad Tidings website, pastor Bryan is a frequent conference speaker, specializing in training churches in leadership development, and is co-author of the book and discipleship resources Follow. He previously held leadership roles within the Assemblies of God organization, and serves as the assistant superintendent of the Pennsylvania-Delaware District and as a District Catalyst group leader. He is also a former board member for both Teen Challenge and Valley Forge Christian College.
