Pastor Bryan Koch Who Lost Wife and Leg in Crash Returns to Pulpit Sunday
After losing his wife, Lynn, and his left leg in a brutal motorcycle crash in June, Pastor Bryan Koch of Glad Tidings Church in Spring Township, Pennsylvania, will return to the pulpit Sunday for the first time in 19 weeks since the accident, and he is trusting God to keep him going.
"It's been a challenging road, but God is bringing me through it," Koch, a former catcher and first baseman for the Chicago White Sox, told WFMZ.
It took a reported 17 surgeries for Koch to recover from two crushed hips, a broken pelvis and other injuries he suffered during the June 7 crash where his left leg had to be amputated because it was pinned beneath an SUV.
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On a Facebook page promoting Koch's inspiring return to the pulpit, more than 500 people have already indicated that they will be attending services to hear him speak, and Koch says he is grateful that he still has the use of his voice.
"I thought I would rather lose my leg than my voice, because as a pastor and as a preacher that's a big part of what we do," Koch, who has pastored at Glad Tidings Church for 27 years, told WFMZ. "My message this week is to encourage anyone that's in a hard place that's going through tough things in life."
Koch and his wife were less than a mile from their home on June 7 when their motorcycle was run off the road by an SUV in Bern Township, according to WFMZ. Lynn died on the scene and the SUV's driver, Sean Michael Eyrich, had a blood alcohol level that was four times the legal limit, according to local police. Eyrich, 31, has been charged with homicide by vehicle, but Koch said he was praying for him.
"I am praying Sean will come to Christ. That's what I needed and it's what everybody needs. It's why we exist as a church," Koch said.
Koch's baseball career with the Chicago White Sox ended after his left eye was hit with a fastball when he was 21. He is adamant, however, that the accident that took his wife, Lynn, at 53 will not end his ministry as a pastor.
"I told my boys you're going to have a grandpa and a dad that doesn't have a left eye or a left leg, but I got a big heart for you and God and we're going to be OK," Koch, who is expected to get a prosthetic leg in December, said.
"I want to be defined as a good dad, pastor and servant to this community," he said.
According to the Glad Tidings website, Koch, who is the father of three sons, is a frequent conference speaker, specializing in training churches in leadership development.
He is co-author of the book and discipleship resource Follow. Koch 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.
