Florida Church Mourns Pastor’s Death

A church in Florida is grieving the loss of a beloved pastor and father of four, who tragically passed away in a motorcycle accident last week.

This past Sunday marked the first gathering for Journey Church, a nondenominational Christian community with locations in West Palm Beach, Lake Worth Beach, and Boynton Beach, since its senior pastor, Joshua R. Rene, was killed in a crash the previous Tuesday. He was just 39 years old.

“There wasn’t a person he didn’t love, and he always made time for everyone,” shared senior pastor Scott Baugh, visibly emotional. The service featured a message called “Faith in the Valley.”

Beau, a friend, added, “Josh was always fun and had unwavering faith. It’s been surprising to see the overwhelming response on social media and all the phone calls.” In a previous message, he reflected on how Renée’s death impacted the community.

“It just doesn’t feel real,” Beau mentioned in a video. “I’m at a loss for words. To many, he was Pastor Josh, and he was an incredible pastor. But to me? He was just Josh—a close friend, like a brother, for the past ten years.”

On Tuesday evening, around 7 p.m., Rene was riding his Harley-Davidson northbound on South Congress Avenue near Atlantis when a GMC Sierra pickup truck, coming from the opposite direction, turned left into Atlantis Plaza and struck him. The driver, a 50-year-old man from Stuart, reportedly failed to see Rene’s motorcycle in time. The impact caused Rene to be thrown onto the road, where he sadly died at the scene.

In a brief statement on Facebook, Journey Church requested prayers for Rene’s family. “As a church community, we are heartbroken over the loss of our beloved Pastor Josh,” the church stated. “Please join us in praying for the Rene family.”

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